A Guild of Bonds
by Bob Bandicoot
Summary: A new adventure awaits Team Natsu as they search for a relic of the past, part of Fairy Tail's own legacy. Hidden emotions will be discovered during this trip, as a certain ice mage starts feeling even closer to a particular redhead. Adventurous and a little fluffy, with Gray/Erza and a little bit of Natsu/Lucy.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:** **Well, it has been some time but here's a new story! I've been thinking about it for a while now so I thought I should give it a shot. A more adventurous story with some romance too. The pairing will be mostly Gray with Erza and there might be some Natsu and Lucy too. I do not own Fairy Tail.**

 **A GUILD OF BONDS**

 **CHAPTER 1**

The sun shone brightly in the clear blue sky over the town of Magnolia. The town was lively and buzzing with activity, as a dark haired young man slowly made his way across the paved road, looking around with a small smile.

"The town is lively as usual. Well, I guess things are way livelier back at the guild, especially after we got back" the dark haired man thought as he walked casually, putting his hands into the pockets of his white longcoat. One of Magnolia Town's most prominent and recognizable buildings was the town's own mage guild, Fairy Tail, one of the most renowned mage guilds in the kingdom of Fiore. And Gray Fullbuster was one of the guild's oldest members, who had just returned from quite an unexpected journey along with his teammates. The entire guild had been transferred to a different world called Edolas by a powerful magical gate and found themselves in a land that unlike their own had very little magic left, where they met an alternate version of their own guild. After joining the Edolas Fairy Tail and defeating the evil king and his guards they were finally able to return to their own world, bringing some new and some old faces with them. Gray smiled as her recalled those events, pondering that it was only the most recent from the crazy adventures he has gotten into lately along with the rest of his team. Natsu Dragneel, the Fire Dragon Slayer along with his winged cat companion Happy, someone that Gray had been constantly bickering and brawling almost on a daily base whenever they were in the guild, but considered one of his best and most trusted friends. Despite their constant brawling the two of them had a friendly rivalry that in a way honed their skills, and both would push themselves to their limits to protect those dear to them. Lucy Heartfilia, the resourceful and plucky Stellar mage who even though was a relatively new member of the guild, she had proven to have the spirit and ideals of Fairy Tail as strong as even the most veteran members of the guild. Gray chuckled as he remembered their first meeting at the guild when during one of their usual brawls he had casually asked for her underwear while being butt naked. Not the best first impression but Lucy's opinion of him had improved after that. Wendy Marvell and her own winged cat companion Charle, the Sky Dragon Slayer and the newest member of Fairy Tail, whose potent magic was rivaled by her kindness, and her pure and warm heart. And Erza Scarlet, the S-Class Requip mage, one of the most important members of Fairy Tail, and one of Gray's closest and dearest companions. Despite her cold and tough exterior and her sometimes strict attitude, Gray knew that Erza was the kindest and most gentle person he had ever met, one who put her friends above all. Gray stopped by the riverbank and look at the clear waters, remembering their first meetings. The two of them had gotten off to a rocky start with Gray picking fights with Erza, frustrated by her seemingly cold attitude, but always getting beaten up which always further fuelled his frustration. He remembered that evening where he saw her by the riverbank and instantly charged her, only to stop in his tracks completely stunned once she turned around and he noticed her tearful and saddened expression. Realizing that her cold attitude was only a way for her to hide her real feelings, he slowly sat next to her and kept her company, ending her loneliness and seeing her smile for the first time, and since then they had been close friends.

"This feels so long ago" Gray thought as he turned around and continued his way. The ice mage wondered if all he felt for Erza was simply friendship. They had known each other ever since they were kids, with Erza often acting as an older sister whenever Natsu and he would enter a fight, which was funny considering she ended up causing an even bigger ruckus herself. And she probably was even worse when she bickered with Mirajane, the lovely bartender of the guild being way rowdier and hotheaded when she was younger and the two of them having their own rivalry back then. Gray let out a small laugh as he remembered one time when he tried to step between them and end their fighting, instantly regretting it once they both glared at him. They did stop fighting though, so he was successful, in a way. It's not the only time when Gray had seen a more childish or relaxed side of the redhead. He remembered another instance when Natsu and he were supposed to pick up the fallen leaves of the trees in the backyard of the guild. Naturally, the two of them would pile the leaves and then simply fall on top of them, laughing and making a mess. Erza found them and scolded them, the two of them slightly pouting as they were sent back to the guild while she said she would pick up the leaves herself. After a while Gray went out to call her for dinner, only to find Erza jumping on a pile of leaves, laughing out wholeheartedly. Once she saw him she instantly got up and lowered her head, blushing and fidgeting with her skirt. She was about to apologize when she heard Gray calmly telling her to hurry up or dinner would get cold, raising her head and noticing that he smiling softly at her, not even a trace of anger evident on his face. Erza simply smiled back and went back on the guild with him, unaware that Gray felt a warm feeling flowing inside him once he saw her so joyful. And it wasn't the only time that Gray felt like that around her. He would always have the same warm feeling whenever Erza would laugh or smile and sometimes he found himself simply staring at her, thinking how beautiful she looks, before she would turn to look at him with a quizzical look and he would look the other way with an embarrassed expression, earning a soft giggle from the redhead. Gray wasn't really sure when his feelings started to change, or if he had always felt that way without even realizing it. His mind went back to the Tower of Heaven when Gray finally found out about Erza's past and about everything she had been through. He realized why she had shut herself out when she first came to Fairy Tail, why she spend all those nights alone by the riverbank, and why it has been so hard for her to open up to everyone. Something changed inside him, like some switch turned in his mind. He always considered Erza a dear friend but at that point he was like a man on a mission. He had to protect Erza, he had to bring her back to Fairy Tail, keep her safe and watch her smile again. His resolve burned fiercely and when he faced one of the assassin mages that were sent after them, the one who had defeated Natsu and used his own fire magic against him, Gray was able to overcome and freeze the flames, defeating the mage and freeing Natsu. The fight took its toll on him thought and Gray regretted not being able to take part in the final battle, he regretted the fact that he had to take the back seat and not save Erza himself. Nevertheless, Erza was rescued and returned to the guild, and that was important. Gray however was determined to get stronger so next time he would be able to protect her himself. When they fought against Oracion Seis and Erza was poisoned in the their first fight against the dark guild, Gray fought with everything he got to hold of Racer, giving Natsu enough time to take Wendy to Erza so she could heal her. He wasn't strong enough to win against his opponent on his own, but Erza was healed and that's what mattered. Gray thought about their battles in Edolas when he briefly encountered Erza Knightwalker, one of the evil king's elite guards. It felt strange fighting against Erza, even if she was a different person, and Gray had a feeling that she couldn't have been completely evil, so he fought just enough so they could escape. And it turned out that he was right, as Erza told them when they returned to Earthland that they weren't that different after all. Deep in thought and trying to sort out his feelings, the dark haired mage made his way towards the guild.

* * *

Lucy leaned on the back of her chair letting a small yawn as she held her cup.

"Someone seems a little tired" Mirajane commented with a small smile.

"Well, I was planning on staying in bed for a little while longer, when a certain rowdy duo crashed my place again" Lucy said with a drowsy expression.

"One would think that you would have gotten used to that sort of thing by now" Cana let out a small laugh, taking a sip from her drink.

"I guess I should try locking my window next time. Although they might try the chimney then" Lucy responded simply.

"They do seem even more lively than usual" Cana said as she looked behind her.

"That's not really surprising. They have a lot of catching up to do" Mirajane said with a warm expression. Lucy turned around and saw Natsu and Happy sitting in a nearby table and talking vividly with a white haired girl. The one who came with them when they returned from Edolas, Lisanna, Mirajane and Elfman's little sister and one of Natsu and Happy's closest childhood friends.

"I suppose they do" Lucy said as she turned back on her drink, a small smile forming on her lips.

"Lucy, I really want to thank you for your part in bringing Lisanna back! Really, I couldn't even think I would ever see her again, and now she's here and it's all thanks to you!" Mirajane said with a grateful smile, putting her warm hand on top of Lucy's and squeezing it gently.

"I think you're overreacting a little bit, Mira! I mean I get why you would be so happy, but I didn't do that much. Everyone who went to Edolas played their part, and probably did way more than I did" Lucy said with a faint blush, feeling slightly embarrassed as Mirajane simply gave her a sweet smile.

"Our little Lucy is modest as usual" Cana chuckled, patting the blonde on her back.

"I think I preferred Cana from Edolas. She was more proper and lady like" Lucy slightly pouted.

"A proper and lady like Cana! That would be interesting to see" Mirajane remarked

"Well, if she was anything like me then a day here and she would turn exactly the same" Cana said lightly, raising her mug.

"I don't there would be enough liquor in Magnolia to handle two of you" Lucy said dryly, causing both Mirajane and Cana to laugh before Lucy laughed as well.

"Hey, Lucy!" a cheerful, loud voice was heard as Lucy suddenly felt a pair of strong hands land on her shoulders, the blonde letting out a yelp and looking back and seeing Natsu's grinning face.

"Natsu, and Happy! What are you doing here?" Lucy said, startled by the energetic duo's sudden appearance.

"We came here to take another mug of warm milk!" Happy said as he floated above them and landed on the bar.

"Where is Lisanna?" Lucy asked.

"Elfman wants to spend the day with her. They'll probably go to the woods for fishing. I thought about joining them, but I figured these two might need some time alone" Natsu said rubbing his chin.

"Aye! Fish would be good just like spending more time with Lisanna. But we could go another day" Happy added.

"That's very considerate of you, Natsu! To say that Elfman is overjoyed to have his little sister back would be an understatement. Although knowing him, he would have preferred if he had also gone to Edolas and brought her back himself" Mirajane said with a soft expression.

"You're right, but I think he's glad either way" Cana said with certainty.

"All of us are. Things have turned out better than any of us expected" a smooth, feminine voice was heard as everyone turned around and saw a red haired young woman stepping towards them, a small smile adoring her pretty face.

"Good morning, Erza!" Lucy greeted with a wide grin.

"Good morning, everyone!" Erza said with a warm expression as she looked around.

"It's true that getting transferred through the Anima gate and fighting against the king's guards was an ordeal, but we managed save the guild both here and in Edolas, and we all came back here along with Lisanna and a new guild member" she said, folding her arms.

"Master has been looking for you, Erza" Mirajane said, as she put a mug filled with warm milk in front of Happy, the blue cat taking it with sparkling eyes.

"I know Mira, I just talked to him. Actually, he wants to talk to all of us. Has anybody seen Gray?" Erza said.

"Yeah, where's that stripper? I haven't seen him since this morning" Natsu wondered loudly.

"Pipe down Flame Brain! I'm here" Gray's voice came from behind the small group as the dark haired mage made his way towards the bar.

"About time you showed up! Where have you been?" Natsu yelled, turning around.

"Huh? That's my business! What does it matter to you, you loudmouth?" Gray furrowed his eyebrows.

"What was that? Like you are any better! You wanna go, Droopy Eyes?" Natsu growled.

"Bring it, Squinty Eyes!" Gray shot back, the two hot headed mages bashed heads, sparks flying as they glared each other.

"And here we go again!" Lucy let out a sigh, shaking her head.

"Aye! It didn't take them long this time" Happy said, taking a sip from his mug. Erza's eyebrows twitched but she took a long breath before she talked.

"Stop fighting you two! Come on, Master said he wants to see all of the team. He said it was something important for the whole guild" she said with a relatively calm voice, causing everyone around her to look at her with a hint of surprise.

"Gramps wants to see us?" Gray said slowly.

"Something concerning the whole guild? What do you mean?" Cana said.

"I'm not quite sure yet, he was sort of vague. But I suppose we'll find out soon. He's waiting for us in the upper floor" Erza responded.

"He seemed pretty calm when I saw him earlier. Actually he was quite jolly as he had his coffee, so I doubt it's anything concerning. But it should be something serious if he wants to talk to you, maybe a new mission, so go ahead. I'm sure he'll let us know too, after he talks to you" Mirajane said.

"No point in wondering, we just have to go and meet him. And Gray, put on some clothes" Erza said simply.

"What? When did I? Not again!" Gray groaned as he looked down, noticing that somehow he was only in his boxers before he hurriedly put his outfit back on.

"Some time ago this would look really strange to me. Now, not so much" Lucy said with a dry expression.

"You've really gotten used to the guild then" Cana took a sip from her drink, as the blonde let out a small sigh.

"Anyway, what are we waiting for? Let's go to Gramp's office" Natsu said, marching towards the stairs.

"Aye! Let's go" Happy floated behind him. Gray, Lucy and Erza simply looked each other and shrugged, before they walked behind the energetic duo.

"What do you think Master wants them for? Do you really think it's about another mission?" Cana turned towards Mirajane.

"It could be. We'll find out soon" Mirajane said simply, wiping a large, wooden cup with a clear cloth.

* * *

"We're here, Master!" Erza announced as the small group entered the guild master's office on the upper floor.

"Good morning, everyone! Glad to see all of you!" master Makarov greeted, grinning widely under his thick, white mustache.

"So, what did you want to talk to us about, Gramps?" Natsu said casually, putting his arms behind his head.

"I'll tell you. First let me ask you, what do you know about the first guild master of Fairy Tail?" master Makarov said.

"The first guild master? Not a lot is known about her. She was a powerful mage that founded the guild over a hundred years ago, but I don't think I have heard anything else about her" Erza said thoughtfully.

"I have read a few books about the guild, but they were sort of vague about the first guild master too. Looks like there are some mysteries concerning the first years of Fairy Tail" Lucy mentioned.

"That's too long ago. I wasn't even an egg back then" Happy said, floating around.

"Most mages had been acting on their own as freelance mages or as small groups, back then" Gray said.

"I'm sorry Master! As an S-Class mage I should have known more about the guild's history! I'm ready for my punishment!" Erza suddenly said with a stiff voice as she took a bow and lowered her head, causing everyone around her to yelp in surprise.

"Erza getting punished?" Gray thought with a slight blush before he shook his head, quickly regaining his cool.

"Hey Erza, calm down! It's fine, none of us knows much about back then" he quickly said.

"It's fine, Erza, all of you are right. The first years of the guild are indeed shrouded in mystery. History and tales are mixed together and create stories and legends" master Makarov said calmly as he paced from his desk to a nearby bookcase.

"Like this" he continued, taking out a red and golden book with a heavy cover and opened it, before he turned around and showed the small group a picture. It was a picture of a white pendant with a silver chain. It was round shaped and embellished with the Fairy Tail emblem made out of a light blue material on top of it.

"It's so pretty!" Lucy said with sparkling eyes, clasping her hands.

"It looks so shiny too!" Happy added with a cheery voice.

"This pendant belonged to the first guild master and it was thought to be lost, until recently" master Makarov closed the book and walked towards his desk.

"Until recently? So it has been found again?" Erza said.

"Indeed. There was an expedition to the woods at the feet of Rock Mountain, and they said that they found something that looked a lot like this medallion but couldn't retrieve it because it was guarded by some sort of powerful magic" the old guild master turned to face the small group, holding a rolled map in his hands.

"Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Erza and Happy, I need you to go and retrieve that medallion. I know that it has been only a few days since you returned back from Edolas, but this is an important task" he said, looking at the young mages and the winged cat.

"No need to ask twice, Gramps! Of course we are going to get it" Natsu stepped forward, grinning and pumping his fists.

"Aye, leave it to us! And I really want to see how shiny it is!" Happy added, the blue cat completely fired up.

"I'm not thrilled about another mission so soon, but this does seem like an important heirloom for the guild. I'm in as well!" Lucy said with a small smile.

"Of course we are all going! This is a big task that really does concern the entire guild" Erza said with a formal tone.

"This goes without saying! Something that important which is part of the guild's history belongs to Fairy Tail" Gray said, folding his arms.

"Everyone, I knew I could count of you! Fairy Tail is a guild of bonds. We laugh together, we cry together, we celebrate together, and we share each other's pain and whisk away their loneliness. These are the ideals that Fairy Tail was founded on, the ideals that the first guild master and the first mages that formed the guild passed on to us. And the spirit of the guild burns brightly within all of you!" master Makarov said with a proud smile.

"Is there anything else we need to know about that medallion?" Erza asked.

"It is said that it possessed great magic, that it was a powerful amulet. I'm not sure how much of that is true, but it doesn't really matter to us. We want this medallion for its significance to the guild" the old guild master responded.

"If such rumors exist, then others will be after it too" Lucy said with a hint of worry.

"That is correct. Word hasn't spread out yet, I know of this because of my own sources. Being the guild master of Fairy Tail and one of the Ten Wizard Saints does have some perks after all. But someone well connected and with an interest in these kinds of artefacts might have caught word of it, so it is not out of question that someone else will be after it too. Retrieving it won't be easy, you guys need to be ready. And if that amulet indeed has great magical power, then we need to stop it from falling to the wrong hands!" master Makarov said.

"Understood, we leave at once! Everyone, we will meet in front of the guild in one hour" Erza said, tuning towards the rest of the team who nodded in agreement.

* * *

About an hour later, the mages were standing in front of the guild.

"Have you seen Natsu and Lucy?" Erza said, looking around.

"That idiot is still back at the build. He said he's preparing something for the road" Gray said, pointing with his thumb back at the guild building.

"And Lucy hasn't arrived yet. I guess she is still getting ready." he continued with a shrug.

"I'm here! Sorry I was a little late!" Lucy's voice was heard as she ran towards her fellow guild members. Her usual white and blue top and blue skirt had been replaced with a dark green top, brown shorts and matching knee high, brown boots, while her usual brown, leather belt was still wrapped around her waist with her golden magical keys hugging from the side.

"It's okay, we only got here a few moments later" Gray said simply as Lucy stopped next to them.

"So now we are just waiting for Natsu and Happy" Erza said.

"We're here too!" Natsu yelled, as he moved towards them holding a large sandwich, while Happy floated behind him munching on a roast fish with a gleeful expression.

"Good, we are set to go then!" Erza said with an approving smile.

"Right! I got the map here too. Master has already marked the location" Lucy said, lifting a rolled up map.

"What about you Erza? How come you don't have that heavily loaded wagon you usually carry around?" Gray said, slightly surprised.

"I have considered it, but I thought it might not be needed this time. Besides, there is a small village near the forest we are going, so we should be able to restock and gather some provisions there" Erza said simply.

"Not to mention that it will not be very convenient to carry it around, especially since we'll need to take the train" Lucy added.

"The train, really? Not again!" Natsu groaned, hanging his head.

"Happy, we are going to fly there!" he raised his fist with a determined expression, turning towards the winged cat who gasped in shock.

"What? I can't fly all the way there! Not to mention I'm not sure where we are heading!" Happy retorted.

"You have a point. Perhaps Gramps could give us another map" Natsu pondered.

"Drop it Natsu, you'll manage like you always do" Gray said.

"Too bad that Wendy is not here to cast Troia on you. She's already on a mission though with Charle, Levy-chan, Gajeel and Panther Lily" Lucy said.

"Then Natsu will just have to deal with it. Anyway, we need to get going" Erza said.

"Alright then, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Natsu said with an energetic grin as he moved forward.

"Aye Sir!" Happy chimed flying behind him, with Lucy shaking her head with a small smile as she walked next to him. Gray and Erza exchanged looks, smiling at the energetic duo's antics.

"Well, let's hit the road then!" Erza said lightly.

"I'm right with you!" Gray nodded before they both moved along with their teammates, the dark haired mage having a warm, fuzzy feeling as he walked next to his closest friend.

 **Author's note:** **Well, there goes the first chapter! Looks like Natsu and the others are off to a new adventure, and Gray is slowly realising some new emotions for a certain redhead! Anyway, I hope you liked it and I'd really like to know what you think about it. Until next time.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note:** **New chapter everyone, I hope you like it! I do not own Fairy Tail.**

 **A GUILD OF BONDS**

 **CHAPTER 2**

The team of Fairy Tail mages made their way on the paved roads of Magnolia, enjoying the pleasant warmth and cool breeze.

"Okay, first we are going to Magnolia Station to catch the train and go head to the village marked in the map, and from there it's not a lot of distance until we get near Rock Mountain" Lucy said, holding up the map.

"We can also restock some supplies at that village" Erza said.

"Sounds like a plan" Gray said simply.

"Well, I'm not crazy about taking the train. But I guess it can't be helped" Natsu slightly pouted.

"No worries, I think I might have something about that. Mira gave me these new special pills, they might be able to help you for the train ride" Lucy said as she went through her backpack and took out a small bottle.

"Really? That's awesome! Thanks Lucy, you're a lifesaver!" Natsu grinned widely, unable to hold back his enthusiasm as he hugged the blonde mage.

"It's not that big of a deal, I think you are overreacting a little! But I'm glad to see you in a better mood" Lucy said with a slight blush.

"Lucy can be really dependable, sometimes" Happy said.

"Hey, what do you mean sometimes? What kind of compliment is that?" Lucy puffed her cheeks, putting her hands on her hips.

"You would be even more dependable if you could fly like me!" Happy said proudly.

"And you would be more dependable if you were bigger. Then you would fly all of us directly to the forest" Lucy said back.

"Maybe if I was as big as Lily" Happy said thoughtfully.

"So, you guys must be really excited about Lisanna being back, right?" Lucy turned towards Natsu.

"Oh yeah, it's just amazing. Sometimes I still find it hard to believe that she's actually here!" Natsu responded with a joyful smile.

"Well, it has only been a few days since we all got back. You guys are really close, aren't you?" Lucy said with a small smile.

"Of course! We've known each other ever since we were kids and we spent almost every day together! We found Happy together, we would go fishing and for walks in the forest together, sometimes with Gildarts too, and did many more things together" Natsu said with a nostalgic expression, looking towards the clear sky with his arms behind his head.

"Yeah, it was great!" Happy said vividly.

"I see. This does sound amazing" Lucy said with a small smile, slightly lowering her head.

"To me Lisanna is someone very close and dear! Just like you are, Lucy!" Lucy's eyes slightly widened and lifted her head, turning towards the pink haired mage and noticing that he was looking at her with a bright grin.

"Thank you, Natsu! You are dear to me too" Lucy said with a wry smile. A few meters behind them, Gray and Erza were walking side by side.

"Are you feeling okay, Erza?" Gray asked with some concern.

"Of course I am, Gray. Why are you asking me this?" Erza said, slightly puzzled.

"Well, doing such a long trip after we only came back. I mean, you did have some tough fights, especially with Edo Erza" Gray said, rubbing the back of his head.

"We all had tough fights. And you fought against Knightwalker too, not to mention taking on all those guards" Erza pointed out with a cool expression.

"Perhaps, but I only fought against her briefly. And Lucy and I did get back up against those guards; the entire guild came to fight with us" Gray responded.

"I admit, fighting against her was pretty intense. Not to mention it was sort of strange fighting against someone who looked exactly like me and was pretty much the same person, and yet different at the same time. Although she had cut her hair at that point, so we didn't look completely identical either" Erza said with a light smile.

"What about you, Gray?" she suddenly said, turning towards the dark haired mage.

"Huh? What do you mean "what about me"? I don't think I need a haircut" Gray said with a puzzled expression, causing the redhead to let out a small laugh.

"That's not what I meant. You met your Edolas self but you were on the same side so you didn't have to fight. But how did you feel about fighting against my Edolas self?" Erza asked with picked interest. Gray didn't talk at once; instead he remained thoughtful for a moment.

"Well, it was sort of strange. She had that scary look on her face, much like you when you get angry" he said slowly.

"I see. I didn't know I look that scary when I get angry" Erza said, slightly lowering her head.

"Eh? No, that's not what I meant! I mean you do look scary, but then again most people do when they get angry! I guess I look scary too, sort of" Gray responded hastily, waving around his arms in defense as she tried to awkwardly lift Erza's spirit after noticing her expression.

"It's okay Gray, I just didn't expect to look like that. It's not like a have a mirror to look at my expression when I get angry with you guys. I don't mean to get scary, it's just comes out naturally" Erza said with a small pout, before she turned towards Gray.

"And now that I think about it, I don't think I have ever seen you get angry with me" she said with a soft smile, Gray feeling his face heating up before he looked away.

"Well yeah, I could never get angry with you, unless you get reckless. Anyway" the dark haired mage cleared his throat before he continued with a more clear voice.

"She may have had this scary look on her face and she was an enemy of Fairy Tail in that world, but there was something else about her. I mean she was still Erza, so she couldn't be completely evil" he said thoughtfully.

"And it has been quite a while since we last fought. You know, like having a friendly sparring" he added smiling.

"I see. I too wasn't sure how evil she could actually be, although I was pretty angry that there could be a version of me anywhere that was an enemy to Fairy Tail" Erza said with a hint of frustration.

"Everyone has a darker side within them" Gray said.

"I guess you have a point. Still, your instincts were right. In our last fight, I did get through to her, make her realize her mistakes, and she understood. We are both Erza after all" the redhead folded her arms with a content smile.

"That's right! And she did look cute with that hairstyle" Gray commented without much thinking, until he realized what he said.

"Oh, really Gray? Maybe I should cut my hair shorter too, then" Erza said teasingly, brushing through her long, red hair.

"No need to do that, I prefer your longer hairstyle after all! I mean, you could do it if you wanted too, you would look cute either way! I mean, hey we've almost reached the station!" Gray fumbled with his words before he suddenly yelled, letting out an awkward laugh as he pointed towards the train station.

"What the heck am I talking about?" he thought, sweating nervously and trying to avoid Erza's eyes, who simply giggled in response. Gray slowly looked towards her with a slightly calmer expression before it suddenly struck him.

"Wait, did Erza just consider changing her hairstyle because I said she would look cute? Nah, I'm just overthinking this" he inwardly said before he shook his head, as the team had almost reached the train station. About ten minutes later, the Fairy Tail mages were sitting in their wagon as the train raced across the railways.

"Are you feeling okay, Natsu?" Lucy said.

"Yeah, I'm good. I'm still a little dizzy, but these pills do help. They make me quite drowsy though" Natsu mumbled.

"The trip will take about two hours. We might as well have some rest on the way" Erza said.

"This sounds, like a really good idea" Natsu's words trailed of as he leaned to the back of his seat and almost instantly dozed off.

"Aye, I think I'll take a nap too" Happy curled on Lucy's lap, letting out a purr.

"These seats are quite comfortable" Lucy said, petting the blue cat and took a glance at Natsu before she slowly closed her eyes as well. Gray leaned on his hand, looking at the green scenery outside the window when he felt something warm on his shoulder. He turned his head and saw with surprise Erza leaning against him, her eyes closed as she dozed off while red strands framed her pretty face.

"She looks so peaceful, and so adorable" Gray thought with a fond expression as he slightly adjusted his position so Erza would be more comfortable, the redhead leaving a soft hum as she slept. Gray simply smiled as he looked outside the window again, feeling as if he was floating on the fluffy white clouds that covered the clear sky.

* * *

On the outskirts of Magnolia Town to the west stood a large building among a few smaller ones. Guards stood by the gate as a small group of mages slowly approached.

"That's one big castle" a dark haired young mage said, looking at the large building. He was dressed in a sleeveless, black shirt, a dark blue lighting patterned vest, matching blue pants, black wristbands and short, black boots while a blue sash completed his outfit.

"It's to be expected. It belongs to one of the most powerful lords in the kingdom after all" a long white haired mage responded coolly. His outfit consisted of a long sleeved, dark blue shirt with white and light blue accents, a light blue undershirt, black and blue pants, dark blue boots and a flowing blue cape.

"A request from some such an important figure! Our little group has moved up the ranks" a beautiful young woman said, her long, raven haired locks flowing on her lean shoulders. Her curvaceous figure was covered in a purple dress with golden embroidery and a low neckline that offered a teasing view of her bosom, and a long, split skirt that offered a nice view of her long legs that were covered by a pair of thigh high, high heeled black boots. A short black cape with a hood covered her lean shoulders, while a golden belt circled her trim waist and elbow high, black gloves adorned her arms.

"That's right! This gets me all excited!" another rather good looking young woman that walked right next to her said with an energetic tone. Her wavy, shoulder length, light brown hair were tied in a flowing ponytail, while her athletic, curvy figure was covered with a light blue halter top with a tight, black tank top underneath it, and a matching light blue, short skirt with black shorts that showed off her toned legs that were covered by knee high, brown boots. A brown leather belt circled her trim waist with a pair of tonfa hanging from her sides, while a pair of blue and golden armguards covered her arms.

"We are almost here. Now Kazuma, I need to you to mind your manners" the white haired mage said with a serious expression.

"I always have good manners Feng. You are just way too serious" the dark haired mage responded casually, with a wave of his hand.

"And you are too laid back. Ayano talk some sense into him" the white haired mage turned towards the dark haired woman.

"You guys are so different and yet too similar. You both need to lighten up and get a little bit more serious. Don't you agree, Shizuka?" she said lightly.

"Aya-chan is right! You always have this scowl on your face Feng, and you Kazuma always want to sleep!" the brown haired girl said.

"Although Feng does have a point, in this case. The man we are about to meet is not easy to deal with" Ayano pointed out.

"Fine, you guys are right! I'll try to be more formal" Kazuma said, letting out a sigh.

"That's good enough for now" Feng nodded.

"Let's go then! Better not let a guy like that wait too long" Shizuka said, as the mages resumed their way until they reached the gates of the castle.

"Lord Ming is expecting us" Feng said with a formal tone.

"We are informed about your arrival. You may proceed, Lord Ming is expecting you at the great hall" one of the guards said as they gates opened, allowing the small group to enter the castle. The mages made their way across the hallway and past the guards that stood around until they reached the great hall and approached the throne where an imposing, muscular, middle aged man was sitting on. His long grey hair reached his broad shoulders and a trimmed, white beard covered his stern face. He was dressed in a high collared, crimson robe with an elaborate pattern fastened by a black sash and crimson trousers, while a purple tunic was visible under his robe. Heavy, golden bracers covered his forearms and a pair of heavy, black boots completed his outfit.

"We have arrived at your request, Lord Ming" Feng announced with a formal tone, as all of the mages took a small bow.

"Welcome Raiders! I have heard some impressive things about your mercenary band, so I've summoned you here for a very important quest" the middle aged man said with his deep voice as he got up, showing his tall stature.

"Whatever it is sir, we can accomplice it!" Kazuma said with a confident smirk.

"Confidence is important young man, but don't rush into conclusions before you hear what I have to say. I'm sure word has reached your ears about the discovery of a powerful, magical artifact" Lord Ming said.

"You are referring to the pendant that belonged to the first guild master of Fairy Tail, correct?" Feng deducted correctly, as the tall man gave a short nod.

"Indeed. For several years I have collected magical artifacts, old ones, powerful ones, and this would be quite a prized addition to my collection. My request, the reason I hired you is simple. Bring Fairy Tail's first guild master's pendant to me" Lord Ming said.

"The pendant is said to be guarded by some sort of powerful magic. The expedition that discovered it could not retrieve it" the white haired mage mentioned.

"I am aware of that. This request might seem simple, but it can turn out to be rather tricky. And Fairy Tail is certain to make a move. It's a restless guild, and this matter does concern them greatly. So, are you up to the task?" Lord Ming asked with a stern look.

"As I said my lord, whatever the task is the Raiders can accomplish it! Leave this to us" Kazuma said, without losing his smirk.

"That's what I wanted to hear! I like your attitude, and I hope to see some good results. You may go now. I'll be waiting for the results of your mission" lord Ming sat back on his thrown and waved his hand. The mercenary mages took another bow and slowly turned around, leaving the great hall.

"My lord, our troops have already reached Rock Mountain. What is our next move?" one of the guards said, moving closer to the middle aged man once the mages left.

"Gather your men captain and have them on standby! We'll be departing shortly" lord Ming gave the command with his deep voice, the guard taking a deep bow and moving to complete the order.

"The Raiders are skilled and powerful mages but this quest is too important to leave it just to them. I may have to take matters personally in my hands" the nobleman said with a low voice.

"Well, that was a jolly fellow!" Kazuma commented casually, running his hand over his spiky, black hair once the mercenary mages left the castle.

"That old guy was sort of creepy. His eyes were cold as ice" Shizuka said, rubbing her arms.

"Not to mention that there is more to the story than he let on. That pendant is said to possess mystical powers, and very potent and powerful magic. I doubt he wants it just for his private collection" Ayano said thoughtfully.

"This may be the case but it matters not. We have been hired to accomplish a task and we will do it without fail, like any other time" Feng said with a calm voice.

* * *

"That was a nice nap! I can't remember the last time I was so relaxed in a train!" Natsu grinned, stretching his arms.

"We've got some nice provisions too! That village was well stocked" Lucy commented with lifted spirits.

"We are all set to head into the forest then" Gray said.

"That's right. Be careful everyone, this is where things might start to get complicated" Erza advised as the Fairy Tail mages moved towards the forest.

"The map does have the location marked, but it won't help much in moving through the forest. How are we going to find the spot?" Lucy said.

"It's supposed to be at the feet of the mountain, right? Then we move towards the mountain" Gray said, pointing towards the tall mountain that near them.

"And if we need to get some sense of direction Happy can always fly above the trees and check around" Natsu pointed out.

"Aye! We have done that before in another mission when I was with Natsu" Happy said vividly.

"This all sounds good. Let's try to follow the main path for now" Erza suggested, as all the others nodded in agreement. The Fairy Tail mages made their way inside the forest, Lucy checking the map every now and then, while everyone kept their guard up. It wasn't long before Natsu suddenly stopped.

"What is it, Natsu?" Lucy asked.

"Something seems off. I'm getting a bunch of smells from around the place" Natsu said with a serious expression, his enhanced senses alerting him.

"There's also a sound of footsteps approaching. It sounds like quite a crowd" Gray said, clenching his fists.

"Indeed. Get ready everyone, we have company" Erza said as the Fairy Tail mages stood on guard. After a few minutes a large number of guards appeared from within the forest, their armor gleaming in the sunrays that fell between the leaves and marching quickly against the mages.

"What's this? Are those Rune Knights?" Gray said with a surprised expression.

"No, their outfits are different. And there is a symbol on their shields that seems somewhat familiar, but it is not from the Magic Council" Lucy noticed.

"It looks familiar to me too" Erza said.

The guards moved around the mages and stopped, as the one who appeared to be the commander stepped forward.

"That's far enough, mages of Fairy Tail! You cannot proceed any further" he said with a commanding voice.

"Is that so? That's funny, I thought the forest was open to everyone" Erza said, folding her arms.

"The forest is currently occupied, we have orders from our lord not to let anyone pass. Turn around now!" the commander said sharply.

"Looks like you guys could use some attitude adjustment. Just like your lord" Gray said, narrowing his eyes.

"This is your final warning! If you do not leave, we will use force!" the commander said, drawing his sword and pointing it against the mages.

"We are not going anywhere! We will not be pushed around by some random thugs!" Lucy said with a determined expression. Natsu stepped forward, cracking his knuckles.

"You gave your warnings, now allow us to give ours! Get out of our way, or we are the ones who will use force!" he said with an angry expression.

"So be it then! Men, charge!" the commander gave the order as the guards attacked.

"Here we go, Happy!" Natsu said as he charged forward.

"Aye sir!" the blue cat said energetically, flying behind him.

"Karyu no Tekken!" Natsu surrounded his fist in bright flames and took a wide swing knocking out several guards.

"Hey, don't hog all the fun for yourself!" Gray said, putting his hands together.

"Ice Make Lance!" he yelled shooting a barrage of ice made spears that crashed on the guards shields and sent them flying.

"Let's get on with this then!" Erza said calmly, summoning two of her longswords and moved swiftly between the guards, taking them out with her a few precise and hard strikes.

"Okay, I won't fall behind!" Lucy moved her hand towards her belt and pulled one of her golden keys.

"I open the Gate of the Golden Bull, Taurus!" she said with a clear voice raising the key as a bright light appeared and a large black and white bull was summoned, holding a large double edged axe.

"Muuuu! I'm ready Lucy!" Taurus said, holding his axe firmly.

"Go Taurus! Let's teach these guys some manners!" Lucy said, holding up her Fleuve d'etoiles, the extendable magic whip she got from the Celestial Spirit World and taking a battle stance.

"You got it! I will protect Lucy's nice body! Rampage!" Taurus roared, charging forward and effortlessly swinging his large axe around.

"You could have left out that last comment" Lucy mumbled with a slight sweatdrop before she moved forward as well, taking a few precise strikes with her magical whip.

"These guys are crazy strong! As expected from mages of Fairy Tail!" one of the guards said nervously, as the team of mages quickly took out most of the guards.

"Don't fall back! They may be formidable but our lord's rage as just as fearsome! Get them!" the commander yelled as he moved forward. Lucy managed to take two guards with a wide swing but didn't notice another one who moved behind her.

"I got one!" he yelled triumphantly raising his sword.

"Darn it! I need to defend!" Lucy thought as she turned as quickly as she could, but the guard was too close. Suddenly she felt a pull as she found herself floating, her feet losing contact with the ground while the guard's sword found nothing but air.

"Happy! Thank you!" Lucy said gratefully, noticing the winged, blue cat holding her from her backpack.

"I got your back, Lucy!" Happy said with a wide smile. Lucy smiled back before she quickly turned her attention towards the shocked guard, taking him out with a hard kick.

"Let's get them, Happy!" Lucy said with lifted spirits as she landed on the ground and dashed forward.

"Aye sir! Happy Max Speed!" Happy flew swiftly towards the guards, knocking them around. Natsu continued knocking around guards with his flaming fists, while Erza's speed and skill with the sword proved to be far superior to any of the guards. Gray took out another guard with a hard blow and noticed the commander moving quickly towards him, having his sword raised.

"Ice Make Sword!" he said, forming an ice made sword and blocking the incoming swing. The ice mage engaged in a quick paced swordfight, the commander showing that his skills were better than any of the other guards but Gray managed to take him down with little effort. The few remaining guards were defeated and the Fairy Tail mages stood among them, looking around for any ambushes.

"Looks like it's over" Gray said simply.

"I don't get any other smells. We are good for now" Natsu nodded.

"That's good! Thank you Taurus, you've been a great help! You can get some rest now" Lucy turned towards the large bull.

"Anytime Lucy!" Taurus grinned before he disappeared in a golden light. Erza moved slowly towards the unconscious commander and leaned next to him.

"As I thought. This is the symbol of Lord Ming's house. These were his guards" she said.

"Lord Ming? This can't be good!" Lucy said with some worry.

"Who's this guy? What's the big deal with him?" Natsu said simply, folding his arms.

"The name does sound familiar" Gray rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"He is one of the most powerful noblemen in all of Fiore, having a small army at his disposal. But that's not all. He is also incredibly powerful and a renown martial artist, also known as Iron Fist Ming. If he is after the pendant too, this won't be easy" Erza explained.

"Things have gotten more complicated" Lucy said concerned.

"Is he also a mage?" Gray said.

"I don't think so, but he does possess great strength and endurance. It might be possible that he used magic to become stronger, in addition to his great skill in hand to hand combat" Erza said thoughtfully.

"So what? If he appears we'll beat him up too! We won't let some random nobleman stop us!" Natsu said, raising his fist with determination.

"That's right! That pendant belongs to Fairy Tail!" Happy said with a spirited voice.

"Besides, we knew that others might be after the pendant too. We'll deal with them when the time comes" Gray said with a calm expression.

"I'll do my best too!" Lucy raised her thumb up with a wink.

"You guys are right. Whatever happens, we'll face it together!" Erza smiled.

"There may be more of them, so we better move on" she said, looking around as the other mages nodded in agreement and moved deeper inside the forest.

 **Author's note:** **Well, t** **here goes this chapter. I think it had a few romantic moments with Gray and Erza, as well as some action. Anyway, thoughts and reviews will be greatly appreciated. Until next time.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** **The new chapter is up** **! I do not own Fairy Tail.**

 **A GUILD OF BONDS**

 **CHAPTER 3**

The cool breeze blew through the tall, green trees as Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Erza and Happy made their way through the thick forest.

"We are getting closer to Rock Mountain. Everyone, keep your guard up" Erza said.

"That's one big forest" Natsu commented as he looked around, having his arms behind his head.

"It's a good thing that the mountain is tall enough so we know where we are heading. And this path seems to lead towards it" Lucy commented.

"Staying on the path might be a little tricky, though" Gray said as the mages slowly stopped, noticing the path in front of them splitting into two smaller paths.

"They both seem to lead towards the same direction, but we can't be sure which one leads to the pendant" Lucy said.

"Indeed. Looks like we might have to split" Erza said thoughtfully, folding her arms with a serious expression.

"I don't really like the idea, but I guess it can't be helped" Lucy said.

"It's fine guys, we can do this! We'll just get that pendant, beat up everyone who tries to stop us and go back to Fairy Tail, all of us together!" Natsu said with a determined expression, raising his fist.

"Aye! We are mages of Fairy Tail!" Happy said.

"Natsu is right! Even if we are apart our bonds remain strong and we are not alone! We've been apart before but we have always found each other, and we can do it again" Gray said passionately.

"Well said, you two! It's nice to see you agreeing for once instead of arguing!" Erza said with a small smile.

"Hey, we don't argue all the time!" Natsu retorted.

"And when we do it's mostly Flame Brain's fault!" Gray pointed at his teammate with his thumb.

"What was that?" Natsu snapped, turning towards the dark haired mage.

"So are we going to split into teams?" Lucy asked.

"Lucy, Happy and I will take one path. You guys take the other" Natsu suggested with a calmer expression.

"Sounds good to me. Okay everyone, let's go. We will meet back to this spot in the evening. And be on your guard, there's a good chance we might run into more adversaries on our way" Erza said as the mages nodded smiling before they resumed their way, taking different paths and determined to meet each other again.

* * *

Natsu, Lucy and Happy made their way through the forest their path growing narrower as the trees grew thicker, while a small, clear river run near the path.

"The forest seems pretty dense in this part" Lucy remarked.

"The trees are so tall that the sky is barely visible" Happy said, looking around. Suddenly Natsu stopped in his tracks, putting his arm in front of the blonde.

"What's wrong, Natsu?" Lucy said alerted.

"Someone's here. And they are pretty close" the pink haired mage narrowed his eyes.

"Not bad, Salamander! I guess these enhanced senses that the Dragon Slayers have are quite handy!" a voice was heard, as the Fairy Tail mages saw a shady figure coming from behind a nearby tree and stepping towards them, noticing that it was a dark haired mage, dressed in a sleeveless, black shirt and a dark blue lighting patterned vest with matching blue pants, black wristbands and short, black boots while a blue sash completed his outfit.

"Yeah, they can be quite useful for sniffing out sneaky guys hiding behind trees" Natsu said.

"Sneaky? Come on now, I wasn't hiding or preparing some ambush. I was simply waiting for your arrival. There aren't many paths that lead to Rock Mountain, and this is one of the few of them" the dark haired mage said.

"What business do you have at Rock Mountain?" Lucy said, although she had a good idea about the answer.

"I guess the same business that you have, mages of Fairy Tail. To retrieve the first guild master's magical pendant" the dark haired mage said with a light smile.

"How do you know about that? Who are you?" Happy yelled as Natsu clenched his fists.

"I am Kazuma of the band of Raiders. As for how I know about it, well word gets around" the dark haired mage responded simply.

"The Raiders, you said? I've heard about them, they are a group of powerful freelance mages who act as mercenaries for various missions. From monster hunting to being body guards, finding magical artifacts and even fighting dark guilds" Lucy said.

"Nice to see someone who well informed! Indeed, that's what the Raiders do. Take a mission and always deliver successful results!" Kazuma said with a hint of pride.

"So I guess your mission this time is to find the first one's pendant. Someone hired you to retrieve it for him. It might even be Lord Ming, we've already met his guards" Lucy deducted as Kazuma took a closer look at her.

"You're both smart and pretty! Fairy Tail must be a very interesting guild!" he said with a charming smile.

"That's the guy who hired us. We also noticed that he sent some of his guards and saw their camp in the forest. That wasn't part of the deal, but I guess he really wants that thing" he continued with a slight scowl.

"I don't know what that guy's deal is or why he wants the first's pendant so bad, but he is not getting it! We already beat up his guards and you guys will get the same if you stand in our way!" Natsu said, cracking his knuckles.

"The pendant is supposed to be really powerful and have mystical powers, which does explain why he wants it so much. We are supposed to retrieve it but to do that we'll have to find it, and deal with you guys. So, I might have to take on that offer of yours!" Kazuma grinned as he pulled his wristband over his forearm and clenched his fist.

"Here he comes!" Lucy said alerted, her hands moving towards her belt.

"Lucy, I want you and Happy to move forward?" Natsu said with a low voice.

"Huh? What do you mean, Natsu?" Happy said with wide eyes.

"You want us to leave you?" Lucy said slowly.

"I can deal with this guy but you need to get to the pendant. I'll meet you after I'm done with him" Natsu said.

"We need to get to the pendant before his teammates, you're right. Okay then, we just need to move fast" Lucy silently agreed, moving next to Natsu.

"I'll draw his attention. You guys run as fast as you can" the pink haired mage mumbled, as he got ready to move.

"Right! Ready, Happy?" Lucy turned towards the blue cat who nodded.

"Beat this guy up, Natsu!" Happy said.

"You can do this, Natsu!" Lucy said encouragingly as Natsu looked towards her with a grin.

"Leave it to me!" he said with confidence.

"Are you guys done whispering to each other? After all the stories I've heard, I've thought that you're the kind of guy who prefers to let his fists do the talking, Salamander!" Kazuma said with a louder voice.

"You've heard right! And you are about to find that out yourself!" Natsu said, taking a battle stance.

"Let's go Happy!" Lucy said as she suddenly sprang forward.

"Aye Sir!" Happy said, grabbing her from her backpack and flying forward at a height speed.

"Hey, where do you think you are going?" Kazuma raised his hand towards them.

"Your opponent is me!" Natsu yelled as he dashed forward, landing a hard strike with his fist, causing the dark haired mage to raise both of his arms to block the strike as Lucy and Happy flew above him.

"I guess you do know how to use your fists!" Kazuma said with grin pushing Natsu backwards.

"You are not bad yourself. That was a quick reaction" Natsu said back.

"So, your pretty friend and that cat moved ahead to find that amulet. It's more possible for her to meet one of my teammates though" Kazuma said.

"Lucy can deal with whoever she runs into! She's strong, stronger than she thinks she is" Natsu said passionately.

"I see that the stories that you Fairy Tail mages have a lot of faith in each other are true. You should be more focused on your own fight though! It might be tougher than you think!" Kazuma said, his black eyes gleaming as he took a fighting stance.

"Good! I'm getting fired up!" Natsu grinned, pumping his flaming fist.

"That's a good attitude! This will be, electrifying!" Kazuma smirked, his fists surrounded by blue sparks.

* * *

Lucy's boots touched the ground as the blonde girl moved quickly across the path before she slowly stopped and looked back with some concern.

"What's the matter, Lucy? Don't worry, Natsu will definitely beat that Kazuma guy!" Happy said with certainty.

"Yeah, you are right! Let's move on" Lucy said with a small smile, before she turned around and moved forward.

"Stay right where you are!" a voice was suddenly heard from one of the trees, causing Lucy and Happy to look up.

"Someone's up there!" Lucy said as a shady figure jumped from the tree and landed gracefully in front of them before she slowly got up. Lucy noticed that it was a young woman with wavy, shoulder length, light brown hair that were tied in a flowing ponytail, covered in a light blue halter top with a tight, black tank top underneath it, and a matching light blue, short skirt with black shorts that showed off her athletic legs that were covered by knee high, brown boots. A brown leather belt circled her waist, with a pair of tonfa hanging from her sides while a pair of blue and golden armguards adorned her arms.

"You are from Fairy Tail, aren't you? Then I need to stop you!" the brown haired girl said, pointing her finger towards Lucy.

"And you are one of the Raiders, right? Then I have to go through you!" the Stellar mage said back.

"That's right, my name is Shizuka! And you, you seem familiar" the brunette said, rubbing her chin.

"I am Lucy of Fairy Tail! And I won't back away from a fight, although I would prefer to avoid it" Lucy mumbled her last words.

"Lucy? That's right, Fairy Tail's Stellar mage! I've heard about you!" Shizuka said with an excited tone.

"Really? What exactly have you heard about me?" Lucy said with vivid curiosity.

"A cheerleader who has a thing for whips!" Shizuka responded brightly, causing Lucy to fall head first on the ground.

"What kind of stories are these? Who spreads such wild tales?" she yelled exasperated.

"You do have a thing for whips, Lucy!" Happy commended.

"I do not have a thing for whips! And I have not put on that cheerleader costume that many times!" Lucy puffed her cheeks.

"Hey, a talking cat! So it is true that Fairy Tail has talking cats! How cute! Although I do sort of prefer dogs" Shizuka said.

"What? But there are no talking dogs!" Happy said.

"Because talking cats make total sense" Lucy said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Anyway, I can't allow you to pass. Our mission is to retrieve the first guild master's magical pendant. I know that something like this is important for Fairy Tail mages, but the Raiders always fulfil their missions. I will fight you, if I have to" Shizuka said with a more serious tone taking a battle stance, a determined look in her clear, brown eyes.

"She doesn't seem like a bad person" Happy said.

"I know Happy, but she is serious. We need to get serious too, if we want to have a chance in this fight. We need to win for Fairy Tail" Lucy said with a determined expression, as she stood ready to face her opponent.

* * *

"Karyu no, Tekken!" Natsu yelled, surrounding his fist in bright flames and charging forward. The Dragon Slayer took a wide swing with his fist which Kazuma managed to dodge by moving sideways.

"Lighting Fist!" he said, surrounding his fist with blue lightning and landing a hard blow that landed directly on Natsu's chin, sending him flying backwards. Natsu grunted but managed to flip in midair and landed on his feet, pushing forward and attacking with another flaming fist that this time connected, striking his opponent on the side of his face, and sending him stumbling backwards.

"You pack a rather mean punch!" Kazuma said.

"Same to you! So, you are a lighting mage" Natsu said, rubbing his chin.

"Pretty much. You guys had one too, that Laxus guy. I once met him in my travels, that guy was crazy strong. And there was something about his magic, I think he is a Dragon Slayer too. I wonder if all Dragon Slayers are that tough" Kazuma said.

"Well, Laxus is kind of a special case. But let me show you how tough Dragon Slayers can be" Natsu said decisively, leaping forward.

"Karyo no Kagizume!" he yelled, surrounding his leg in flames and landing a hark kick while being in midair, which Kazuma blocked by raising his arm and pushing him back. The pink haired mage used the momentum and spun around while still in midair, landing another kick that Kazuma barely dodged by leaping backwards. Natsu landed on his fist and attacked with another flaming fist but Kazuma was able to block again and landed a swift elbow strike, striking Natsu in the midsection.

"Take this!" he said sharply, surrounding his leg with blue lightning and landing a hard axe kick, sending Natsu crashing on the ground.

"Ugh! Damn you! Karyu no Kenkaku!" Natsu surrounded his entire body in flames and lunged forward, landing a hard headbutt on his opponent, causing him to let out a grunt as he was sent flying but quickly got on his feet. Both mages stared each other, keeping their guard up as they studied their opponent.

"This guy is pretty fast and hits quite hard. And I have a feeling that he has more tricks in store" Natsu thought.

"He's unpredictable and reckless, and his moves are hard to read, almost as if he moves out of pure instinct. He's tough too, as I thought. Maybe I should try something else" Kazuma pondered, raising his hand, Natsu's eyes widening as he noticed blue sparks forming between his fingers.

"Lightning Strike!" he said as he shot a blast of blue lightning, causing Natsu to leap sideways and roll on the ground, barely dodging the lightning that crushed around him.

"Lightning Bolt!" Kazuma put his hands together, forming a large, sparkling sphere and shooting it at a high speed.

"Gaaah!" Natsu grunted as the sparkling sphere crashed directly on him, creating a powerful explosion as blue sparks surrounded the area.

"Darn it! I am going numb!" Natsu groaned as he fell on his knee, flexing his fists and trying to recover his movement as he felt his entire body going slightly paralyzing.

"Don't tell me you are done already? I expected more of a challenge" Kazuma said with a smirk, causing Natsu to clench his fists.

"You bastard! It will take much more than this to keep me down!" he growled as he slowly got back on his feet.

"Karyo no Hoko!" he yelled as he used his breath attack, shooting a large blast of bright flames.

"Raging Thunder!" Kazuma said, raising his hand and shooting a single large bolt of blue lighting. The blast of flames and the bolt of lightning crashed right in the middle, creating a big explosion and that covered the entire area in dust and nearly snapped the nearby trees as both Natsu and Kazuma stood against the force of the collision. Kazuma narrowed his eyes as he tried to look through the dust when suddenly he noticed Natsu charging directly towards him.

"Karyo no Yokugeki!" he yelled, surrounding his arms in flames and shooting them. Kazuma grunted as he was sent flying backwards, caught completely off guard as the flames crushed on the ground around him and exploded.

"You are pretty keen on attacking, aren't you? Maybe this will give you some pause! Lightning Lance!" the dark haired mage yelled, shooting a spear of blue lighting which crashed directly on Natsu's chest before it exploded sending an electric current over his body, causing him to let out a gasp, his eyes widening as he fell on his knees, struggling to catch his breath.

"Ugh! That hurt, you bastard!" he groaned rubbing his chest, as he struggled to stand up.

"Looks like you finally stood still, now time for you to hit the ground! Volt Charge!" Kazuma surrounded himself with blue electricity and charged forward.

"Karyo no Enchu!" Natsu surrounded his elbows with flames and attacked, meeting Kazuma's charge. Blazing flames met roaring thunder as their attacks collided, both mages clenching their teeth as they pushed forward until a powerful explosion sent them both crashing on the ground.

"You are one tough bastard!" Natsu slightly panted, struggling to get back to his feet.

"You are the one to talk! You just don't know to stay down!" Kazuma grunted, trying to stand up as well.

"I guess I should have expected that! You Fairy Tail mages are quite stubborn after all!" he continued with a small chuckle.

"We don't back down from a fight either, and we are always on our friends side! Even when we are apart, we feel them fighting right next to us!" Natsu said with a passionate voice.

"That's a nice sentiment! You might want to keep it, because it might be your only way to get up from the next one! Although I really doubt it!" Kazuma grinned before he took a serious expression and clenched his fists.

"Haaaah!" he roared as he charged his magic, surrounding himself in blue lighting, his spiky, black hair flowing as his muscles tensed.

"What crazy magic!" Natsu thought as he raised his arms, trying to withstand the force of the magic.

"Here I come, Salamander! Time to end this!" Kazuma's voice came out heavy as he dashed forward at blinding speed. Natsu barely saw a blur before he felt a hard, lighting charged fist landing directly in his midsection, driving the air out of his lungs.

"Raiu no Tekken!" Kazuma yelled as he landed a barrage of swift strikes, blue sparks flying as his lightning fists moved at a great speed, pummeling Natsu who took the full force of the barrage, until a powerful blow sent him flying backwards and crushing on the ground.

"It's over!" Kazuma said with a heavy breath, electricity surging around his body as he stared at the pink haired mage who laid on the ground, seemingly motionless. However, his eyebrows raised in surprise as Natsu slowly stirred on the ground, before he moved his hands.

"You just don't know when to give up, do you?" he said with a hint of frustration as Natsu pushed with his hands, struggling to stand up.

"We promised that we would all go back, to Fairy Tail! I cannot lose here!" Natsu said slowly as she stood up, a determined look on his face.

"There's no way I'm going to lose! Haaaaaah!" the Dragon Slayer roared, surrounding himself in bright flames a she charged his magic.

"Let's settle this, Salamander!" Kazuma yelled as Natsu dashed towards him. Kazuma landed a swift strike but Natsu ducked out of the way and landed a hard strike with his flaming fist directly on his opponent's chin, causing him to stumble backwards but he quickly struck back, his punch knocking Natsu of his feet. Natsu however leaned on his hands and pushed forward, landing a swift dropkick directly on Kazuma's midsection who grunted as he was sent flying.

"Karyu no Koen!" Natsu put his hands together, forming a large fireball and shooting it point blank at his opponent, creating a large explosion and sending him crashing on the ground.

"Is that all, Salamander? I won't go down that easily!" Kazuma said, slowly getting back on his feet and charging forward.

"Then how about this? Guren Karyuken!" Natsu landed a barrage of rapid fists, his flaming strikes creating small explosions as they landed directly on his opponent, until one final explosive punch sent him flying high in the air before he crashed on the ground.

"How about that" Kazuma mumbled as he simply laid there.

"This fight goes to me!" Natsu declared with strong voice before he fell on his knees, struggling to catch his breath.

"Not that it was easy. This guy is certainly, tough. I need to move on, I have to find Lucy. But I think, I'll need a moment first" he thought as he sat on the ground wearily, looking towards the path in front of him.

* * *

"Here I go! I open the Gate of the Scorpion, Scorpio!" Lucy took out one of her magical golden keys which glowed brightly, summoning a tall, red and white haired man with a scorpion like tail.

"So, this is how Stellar Magic looks like" Shizuka commented.

"We are! Did you call for me, Lucy?" Scorpio said.

"I did. Please Scorpio, lend me your strength!" Lucy said.

"Leave it to me, Lucy! Sand Buster!" Scorpio said, pointing his tail at Shizuka and shooting a large torrent of sand.

"Wind Tornado!" Shizuka put her hands together, shooting a powerful gust of wind that collided with the sand, managing to block it.

"What? She blocked my sand?" Scorpio said surprised.

"Wind Blast!" Shizuka shot a blast of strong wind, striking the spirit and knocking him on the ground.

"Scorpio! Are you okay?" Lucy said worried.

"Sorry Lucy, but I don't think I can be of much help here" Scorpio said.

"It's okay! Thanks for your help!" Lucy said, as Scorpio nodded and disappeared in a bright light.

"She is stronger than she looks!" Happy said with concern.

"I know. We need to be careful around her" Lucy said, pulling another one of her golden keys.

"Looks you have more of those magical keys. Okay then, I'm ready!" the brunette said with confidence, taking a battle stance.

"I open the Gate of the Bull, Taurus!" Lucy said raising her key, summoning the large black and white bull.

"Muuu! I'm ready for action, Lucy!" Taurus said, holding his large, double axe firmly.

"Be careful, Taurus! She is stronger than she looks!" Lucy said, as the large bull stepped forward.

"A close ranged spirit, it seems. Okay then, come on!" Shizuka said with a spirited voice, reaching toward her belt and pulling her tonfa.

"You have a nice body too! But Lucy's nice body is the best!" Taurus roared, taking a wide swing with his double axe that Shizuka was able to dodge.

"Will you stop talking about my body?" Lucy yelled with an embarrassed expression.

"You are faster than you look. But still not fast enough!" Shizuka said as Taurus moved effortlessly his large axe, taking large and relative quick swings but the brown haired girl was able to dodge without much trouble.

"I can go even faster!" Taurus suddenly took wide swing, Shizuka widening her eyes in surprise as she raised her tonfa and blocked the strike, but the force sent her crashing on the ground.

"Way to go Taurus! Nice swing!" Happy cheered on.

"Ugh! What force. That was, a good one. But I can still go on!" Shizuka mumbled as she got up and evaded a blow form Taurus' large fist, striking him on his chin with her tonfa.

"Taurus is having trouble! I need to come up with something!" Lucy thought with concern, as the agile brunette evaded another swing.

"Gale Strike!" Shizuka said, surrounding her feet with wind and landing a swift, spinning kick, striking the large bull who stumbled backwards staggered.

"Take this!" the brown haired girl surrounded her tonfa with wind and landed a flurry of strikes, followed by a hard kick that sent the spirit crashing on the ground, his axe falling next to him.

"I lost? But how? Sorry, Lucy! She's too fast!" Taurus said.

"It's okay Taurus, you've done enough! Get some rest now" Lucy said, sending the spirit back to the Spirit World.

"If strength is not enough, I will go for speed. I open the Gate of the Ram, Aries!" Lucy raised another golden key, summoning a young pink haired woman, dressed in a fluffy, white dress and yellow, thigh high stockings.

"I'm here Lucy! I'm sorry!" the pink haired woman said with a timid voice.

"She looks so cute and sweet, that makes me want to hug her! But we are still fighting. And if that big bull and that scorpion guy couldn't beat me, I don't know how someone so frail looking can do it" Shizuka said, putting her hands on her hips.

"The other spirits already told me that you are strong, but I won't back down! On my pride as a Celestial Spirit, I will defend Lucy!" Aries said, her voice strong and passionate unlike the timid tone she usually had.

"Aries is strong! And she won't fight alone! I will not take the back seat while my spirits fight for me!" Lucy said decisively as she stepped forward, holding the Fleuve d'etoiles, her magical whip firmly.

"Lucy! You don't need to fight, really!" Aries said.

"I do! I can't leave my dear spirits do all the fighting" Lucy turned towards her with a warm smile.

"Thank you, Lucy!" Aries mumbled with a small smile.

"I've heard that Stellar Mages usually take the back seat and leave their spirits do the fighting. But you, you actually want to fight at their side. And your spirit is determined to protect you" Shizuka said slowly, before her lips formed a small smile.

"You are kind and noble, Lucy-san! And I'm sorry for calling you frail, sweet spirit! Now let's have a fair fight!" she said taking a small bow before she resumed her battle stance.

"That's nice of you. Okay then! Let's go, Aries!" Lucy said as she dashed forward.

"I'm with you Lucy!" Aries said, moving besides her before she leapt forward.

"Wool Shot!" she said, shooting a barrage of pink, fluffy wool blasts.

"This looks pretty comfortable, but I should better avoid it" Shizuka said, dodging the wool shots.

"Wool Bomb!" Aries shot a massive amount of pink wool that almost surrounded the brown haired girl.

"Air Slash!" Shizuka said, shooting a sharp blade of wind that cut through the pink wool.

"Take this!" Lucy took a swing with her magical whip but Shizuka was able to dodge it. At the same time Aries landed a hard kick which Shizuka blocked just in time with her tonfa, but was sent skidding backwards from the force of the kick.

"Spirits sure are strong!" Shizuka said slightly panting, blocking another strike from Aries, before she pushed her backwards and landed a spinning kick to Lucy sending her crashing on the ground.

"Lucy! Are you okay?" Aries said with concern.

"Yes, I'm fine Aries! Don't worry about me!" Lucy tried to reassure the pink haired spirit, as she slowly got back on her feet. Aries turned around and attacked with a combination of swift strikes, pushing Shizuka on the defense before a hard kick sent her crashing on the ground. The brown haired girl groaned and shook her head, before she slowly got back on her feet.

"Looks like I need to get faster. Wings of Flight!" Shizuka was surrounded in a light blue aura, before she moved at a higher speed.

"She's too fast!" Aries said, raising her arms as now it was Shizuka's turn to attack with a swift combination of strikes with her tonfa, sending her stumbling backwards.

"Wind Shot!" Shizuka shot a sphere of compressed wind which crashed on the spirit, sending her rolling on the ground.

"Aries!" Lucy took a swing with her magical whip, pushing Shizuka backwards.

"Lucy, I can still fight!" Aries slightly panted.

"It's okay Aries, you've done enough! Please, get some rest!" Lucy said, sending Aries back to the Spirit World, before she turned to face her opponent.

"You've fought well, Lucy-san, but this fight is over. I don't want to hurt you, so maybe you should give up and allow me to search for that pendant" Shizuka said with an honest expression.

"Thank you, Shizuka-san! You really are kind. But I can't give up! For the sake of my guild and my friends, I need to win and move forward!" Lucy said decisively, holding up her magical whip.

"Then you leave me with no choice" Shuzuka said with a hint of regret, dashing forward and landing a hard kick on Lucy's side who let out a hard cry as she was sent crashing on the ground near the river.

"Lucy, are you okay? Talk to me!" Happy said with worry, as he floated next to her.

"I'm okay, Happy. I can still move, I think" Lucy said weakly as she slowly got on her knees, noticing the clear water next to her.

"I tried not to hurt you too much, but I suggest you stay down. If you insist on fighting, then I'll have to make sure you stay down. But if you stay there, then I'll just let you be" Shizuka said with a serious expression.

"Thank you for your concern. But I still have one of my trump cards, that I have not yet used! I open the Gate of the Water Bearer, Aquarius!" Lucy raised her golden key and put it inside the river, a bright light flashing and the calm surface of the river forming waves as a blue haired mermaid covered in a blue bikini top was summoned, holding a light blue urn.

"What's the matter, Lucy? Having trouble again?" Aquarius said with a stern expression.

"Yeah, sorry about that but I need your help!" Lucy said with a slightly nervous smile, as Aquarius turned her look towards the brown haired girl.

"What a beautiful mermaid!" Shizuka said with a dreamy expression.

"That sweet girl is giving you trouble?" Aquarius huffed.

"She may look sweet, but she is really strong!" Lucy retorted, causing the blue haired mermaid to scoff.

"Whatever. I see you are sort of roughed up, so I guess I will help you out" she said, as she moved towards Shizuka.

"Hey you, girl! You better snap out of it because ready or not here I come!" she said.

"Okay, sweet mermaid! I'm ready!" Shizuka said, raising her tonfa.

"Sweet mermaid? Clearly she has no idea" Lucy thought with a sweatdrop.

"You are quite a nice one, but that won't make me hold back! Take this!" Aquarius took a large swing with her urn, shooting a huge torrent of water.

"Wind Wall!" Shizuka created a gust of strong wind around her, blocking the torrent of water.

"You'll have to do better than that, girl!" Aquarius said as she shot an even greater torrent of water with increased pressure pushing through the wind barrier and sweeping Shizuka away in the vortex of water. Shizuka yelped as she was sent flying away, before she crashed on the ground.

"Fairy Tail mages are quite something" she mumbled.

"I think I'm done here" Aquarius said with a cool expression, disappearing in a bright light.

"Thank you Aquarius! We did it!" Lucy said with a small smile, as she laid on the soft grass.

 **Author's Note:** **So,t** **he fight between the Fairy Tail mages and the Raiders has started.** **This chapter focused a little more on Natsu and Lucy, and their fights. Gray and Erza's fights are coming next. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next chapter will be updated soon. Thoughts and reviews will be greatly appreciated. Until next time.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** **New update everyone! I hope you like it. I do not own Fairy Tail.**

 **A GUILD OF BONDS**

 **CHAPTER 4**

Gray and Erza moved through the dense forest, stumbling on the bushes that obstructed their path and pushing through the tree branches.

"The path is too narrow and barely visible. It won't be easy to move on like this" Gray said, pushing through a tree branch only for another one to slap right to his face.

"We need to push through for a little while longer. I can see a clearing ahead" Erza said.

"Not only that, I see someone standing there" she continued, narrowing her eyes.

"Someone standing there?" Gray said with some surprise, as the two mages moved through the trees that covered the narrow path and reached the clearing, noticing a white haired mage, dressed in a long sleeved, dark blue shirt with white and light blue accents, a high collared, light blue undershirt, black and blue pants, dark blue boots and a flowing blue cape.

"So, you've come. I wondered how long it would take you to arrive, mages of Fairy Tail" the white haired mage said, folding his arms.

"You've been expecting us?" Erza said, surprised.

"We knew that Fairy Tail would not allow something that belonged to their first guild master fall to someone else's hands, and that they would swiftly sent a team to retrieve it. Our thoughts were confirmed after hearing the battle with those guards. And it looks like they've sent some of their best mages" the white haired mage said.

"Then you would do well to stay out of our way. Who are you anyway?" Gray inquired.

"I am Feng of the Raiders. And the reason I'm here is the same as yours. The Raiders have been hired to retrieve the first guild master's pendant" the white haired mage responded.

"So, lord Ming has sent mercenaries in addition to his guards. He must really want that pendant" Erza said, furrowing her eyebrows.

"We were not aware that he would send his guards. And there might be a good chance that he will send others too, he may even come here personally. While he should have left that task to us" Feng said, a hint of discontent evident in his voice.

"No matter, though. This path leads to the sight of the amulet and one of my teammates is already ahead of me. She might have already reached it as we speak" Feng looked back before he turned to face the Fairy Tail mages, staring at them with his grey eyes.

"Then we'll just have to go through you!" Erza said decisively.

"While I do consider myself a mage of considerate skill, I have no illusions of stopping both of you at the same time. But I will be able to hold you long enough for my teammate to retrieve the amulet. Maybe longer" Feng said with a calm voice.

"Erza, you go ahead! I'll handle this guy" Gray said with a low voice as he stepped forward.

"Gray, are you sure about that?" Erza turned towards him.

"Not really. This could be a trap. But we can get through this, I know we can!" Gray looked towards Erza, looking her directly in her warm brown orbs.

"No matter what, we will get back to Fairy Tail! All of us!" he said intensely, as Erza looked at him with a small smile.

"You are right! Okay then, I'll go ahead. I know you can win this!" the redhead said with confidence.

"For sure! And Erza, be careful" Gray said with a hint of concern.

"Don't worry, I will. And you do the same" Erza nodded reassuringly before she moved forward, while Gray took a battle stance.

"All right, take this! Ice Make Lance!" he said, shooting a number of long, ice made spears that the white haired mage dodged by leaping sideways, while Erza moved forward.

"So, you decided to split. A sensible decision, given your position" Feng remarked calmly.

"You don't seem a bit surprised. Looks like you wanted us to split, after all" Gray said, with a hint of regret.

"Maybe I did. In any case, you are not getting through" Feng said simply.

"I messed up, Erza could be walking into a trap! I need to defeat this guy quickly and go find her!" Gray thought, clenching his fists.

* * *

Erza moved swiftly through the forest, keeping her guard up as she got closer to the mountain.

"Almost there. The pendant must be close, just like the other member of the Raiders" the redhead thought, reaching a small valley. Erza moved at a slower pace, looking around for any ambushes before she noticed an excavation site on the side of the mountain. She stepped closer, noticing strange markings engraved to the stone around a small hole, and inside it was a small, ornate chest. Erza also noticed a hooded figure standing near the chest, their back turned towards her.

"Step away from the chest!" Erza said with a firm tone.

"Such an authoritative tone! Well, since you ask nicely" the hooded figure lightly chuckled before she turned around and lowered the hood of her short black cape, allowing her long, raven haired locks to fall over her lean shoulders. Erza noticed that it was a beautiful young woman covered in a low cut purple dress with golden embroidery and a long, split skirt that offered a nice view of her long legs that were covered by a pair of thigh high, high heeled black boots, while a golden belt circled her trim waist and elbow high, black gloves adorned her arms.

"So, you are one the Raiders" Erza said simply.

"Indeed, I am! You may call me Ayano. And you must be Erza Scarlet of Fairy Tail. Pleased to meet you" the dark haired woman said with a polite smile.

"Not sure if I can say the same, yet. That chest behind you, the pendant is in there, isn't it?" Erza said.

"Precisely! No need to worry though, I have yet to open it. The magic that protects it is indeed powerful. See all those markings around it, engraved on the mountain? These are magical runes, old and powerful. I have some knowledge so I was able to study them" Ayano said, pointing at the markings on the stone.

"Only one who bears the mark of Fairy Tail may reclaim the amulet. In other words, only a Fairy Tail mage can take it" she explained, turning towards Erza.

"One who bears the mark of Fairy Tail. The first wanted the pendant to go back to the guild" Erza said with a small smile, rubbing her arm where her guild mark was, before she lifted her head.

"So, you wanted one of us to come here. I thought your teammate let me pass through too easily. I don't get why you would just stand there, waiting for me though" the redhead said, with a hint of wonder.

"I get your confusion. Indeed, I could have waited for you to activate the runes with your guild mark and open the chest, and then try to ambush on you. Knock you out, and take the pendant. But I wasn't really fond of such a sneaky approach. Besides, I am quite interested in you" Ayano smiled.

"You are interested in me?" Erza raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Fairy Tail is an intriguing guild, especially some of your members. Like you, Erza Scarlet, and your fellow S-Class mage, Mirajane Strauss. I've wanted to meet both of you for some time now. So, I really am glad that you came here, Titania!" Ayano said, her blue eyes staring at Erza with interest.

"I have to say I'm flattered. But you might not be so glad that I came here, after all. As for that name, I never chose it for myself" Erza said.

"Titania was the queen of fairies, and your beauty is certainly fitting for a queen! And I have a feeling that your magic will be fitting too" Ayano said.

"Well, you are about to find out" Erza said, summoning two of her longswords, and pointing one towards her opponent who simply smiled as she raised her hand, surrounded by a purple glow.

* * *

"So, that's Ice Make Magic. The magic that Ur used" Feng said.

"You've known Ur?" Gray said surprised.

"I've met her a long time ago when I was young. She was truly remarkable, and a great mage. I've wanted to face her when I was older and strong enough and earn her approval, but never had the chance" Feng said with a dour expression, before he raised his head.

"Gray Fullbuster, show me what it means to be a disciple of Ur, and a mage of Fairy Tail! Show the might that your guild is known for!" he said with a sharp voice as he charged his magic, causing the ground around him to slowly freeze.

"That's what I was planning to do!" Gray said decisively as he removed his shirt and his jacket with one swift move.

"Here it goes! Ice Make Hammer!" the dark haired mage said as he put his hands together and shot a large, ice made hammer.

"Ice Spear!" Feng raised his hand, shooting a large, ice spear that collided with the hammer, both of the weapons clashing with a loud thud.

"So, you can use Ice Make magic too" Gray said.

"Not quite. We both use Ice Magic but you use Ice Molding Magic, you create a variety of objects and weapons from ice. I use Ice Magic in its raw, pure form. Let me show you" Feng said, raising his arm.

"Ice Stream!" he said, shooting an icy, light blue energy beam. Gray widened his eyes and leapt sideways, dodging just in time as the stream of ice lightly grazed him before it crashed on a tree, freezing it solid.

"That's what he meant" Gray said, turning from the frozen tree towards his opponent who got ready for another attack.

"Let's see if you can dodge this. Ice Impact!" Feng shot a block of ice that moved swiftly.

"Too fast!" Gray thought, raising his arms as the block of ice crashed on him with force, sending him skidding backwards.

"Damn you! Ice Make Saucer!" Gray put his hands together and shot an ice made disk at high speed that Feng was able to dodge by leaping sideways.

"I see you can create a variety of weapons. But you'll have to do better than randomly attacking like this" he said as he landed on his feet, but his eyebrows raised in surprise as he nearly slipped and lost his balance.

"What's this? The ground is frozen?" he said stunned, before he noticed Gray charging towards him.

"And you'll have to mind your surroundings!" Gray said, raising his fist and landing a hard strike on his opponent's face, causing him to stumble backwards. Gray continued with another strike but Feng was able to block, quickly recovering

"So you are quite creative after all. But you won't catch me off guard so easily again" he said simply, landing a blow of his own directly on Gray's chin, followed by a hard kick to his midsection causing him to grunt.

"Not bad, but I brawl like this almost daily!" Gray landed another heavy blow on his opponent, sending him flying backwards. Feng however shot a blast of ice that struck Gray, sending him rolling on the ground before he landed rather roughly himself. Both of the mages quickly got back on their feet, keeping their guard up as they took their battle stances.

"I am quite adept at hand to hand combat, although you are pretty good yourself. But this battle won't be decided by a simple fist fight" Feng said as he charged his magic, putting arms together and creating a large magical seal, freezing the ground around him.

"That's some crazy magic there" Gray mumbled, slightly getting pushed back from the force of the magic.

"Ice Storm!" Feng said with a loud voice, his cape and long hair flowing as he shot a powerful hailstorm from the magical seal. Gray raised his arms and braced himself from the impact as he was struck by the powerful hailstorm, struggling to remain steady while completely surrounded by the ice and freezing wind.

"Gaaaah!" Gray groaned as he slowly fell to his knee as everything around him froze.

"Damn it, I can't move! I'm going completely numb" he thought clenching his fists, before he noticed a layer of ice quickly covering him.

"I'm getting frozen? You got to be kidding me! And yet, I can't move, I can barely feel anything. Getting drowsy, I can't even think. The ice, is getting harder, more solid" Gray was almost completely covered in a thick block of ice, barely able to feel his mind was going blank. His memories seemed to fade away like a fuzzy dream, his comrades' faces slowly fainting, until the image of a particular redhead came to his mind.

"Erza! No, I can't forget about you! I promised, we all promised we would go back together. Back to Fairy Tail where I could see everyone's smile. Where I could see your smile! I won't be defeated here and there's no way I'm getting frozen! Haaaaah!" Gray suddenly let out a loud roar, charging and focusing his magic as he felt warmth slipping back to his limps before he broke through the block of ice, the ice shards falling to the ground as he slowly got back to his feet.

"You managed to break through that? Impressive!" Feng said surprised but managing to keep his cool.

"You are not bad yourself! It's been a while since ice actually felt cold. But getting frozen would be just too embarrassing" Gray said with a grin.

"Perhaps, but don't get too complacent. This fight is not over yet" the white haired mage said as he charged his magic.

"You bet it isn't!" Gray said decisively, his black eyes gleaming as he put his hands together, charging his magic as well.

"Ice Make Geyser!" he said, slamming his hands on the ground and sending a number of large, spiky ice blocks towards his opponent.

"Glacier Rampage!" Feng slammed his hand on the ground, sending a number of large, sharp ice shards, the two powerful ice attacks clashing and creating a strong explosion, covering the field with shattered chunks of ice.

"Icicle Crash!" Feng said, shooting a barrage of large icicles towards the dark haired mage.

"Ice Make Arrows!" Gray created a large bow and shot a volley of ice made arrows, the two mages struggling to overpower each other with their missile attacks.

"You are quite tenacious! It appears we are evenly matched in a ranged fight" Feng said with a small smile.

"Then let's try close combat. Ice Make Battle Axe!" Gray created a double edged axed and dashed forward, taking a wide swing.

"Ice Dual Blade!" Feng formed a double bladed sword and raised it, blocking the axe. The two mages engaged in a fierce and quick paced duel, their ice made weapons clashing hard as if they were made from hard steel as they skilfully wielded them. Feng landed a kick with his heavy boot, causing Gray to stumble backwards and continued with a quick spin, attacking with both blades of his sword that Gray was able to block with his axe before he took a wide swing with his heavier weapon, the mercenary mage barely dodging by leaping backwards. Gray and Feng attacked again at the same time, their weapons clashing as they locked together, trying to push each other until another had swing caused both of the weapons to shatter. The white haired mage landed a number of quick jabs causing Gray to stumble backwards but he counter attacked with a hard fist of his own, staggering his opponent who barely stood on his feet. Feng slowly shook his head to recover his senses and leapt forward, surrounding his fist with ice and sending Gray flying backwards. Gray however spun around while he was in midair and put his hands together.

"Ice Make Slide!" he said, creating an ice made ramp, landing on it and sliding swiftly against Feng using the momentum to land a heavy blow, sending him flying in the air.

"Ice Make Hammer!" Gray shot a large ice made hammer against his opponent which smashed against him while still being in midair before he landed roughly on the ground.

"So, this is the power of a Fairy Tail mage! Impressive!" Feng said, slowly getting up.

"You are still standing? You are quite tough, aren't you?" Gray said with a small grin.

"And you just keep getting up! Let's finish this then!" Feng surrounded his fist with ice.

"Fine by me!" Gray said, surrounding his own fist with a thick layer of ice as well. The two mages stared each other for a while before they both dashed forward, raising their fists and attacking at the same time. A loud thud was heard and both of them remained still for a moment before Feng slowly fell on the ground, Gray dodging his opponent's fist by ducking out of the way and driving his own ice coated fist right to the side of his face.

"Well fought, Gray Fullbuster" Feng said slowly, as he laid on the ground.

"Man, this was tough" Gray mumbled slowly as he put his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath before he slowly lifted his head.

"Erza, everyone be safe! I'm coming for you. I just need a moment" he thought, before he leaned against a nearby tree and slowly sat on the ground.

* * *

Erza stood ready to face her opponent, her longswords in hand as she kept her guard up.

"Let's do this then, Erza Scarlet! Arcane Shot!" Ayano said as she raised her glowing hand, shooting a large purple blast. Erza moved swiftly, dodging the magical blast and dashed forward, holding her swords firmly.

"Take this!" she said as she reached her opponent and attacked with a number of swift slashes but Ayano was able to dodge, until she blocked one of the blades with her glowing hands. Erza raised her eyebrows in surprise and then let out a gasp as Ayano put her other glowing hand in front of her with her palm opened and pushed her with the force of her magic, sending her skidding backwards.

"So, it looks like you can use your magic to create barriers, as well as to shoot energy blasts" Erza said simply.

"Magic is a rare and powerful gift, my dear Erza. And it can take many forms!" Ayano said with a smile, raising her glowing hands.

"Indeed it does. Let me show you then the different forms of my magic. Requip! Morning Star Armor!" Erza said as she requiped into an orange, yellow and grey leather like light armor.

"So this is your Requip Magic, the magic that allows you to use different sets of armor and weapons, and different kinds of magic as well depending on your equipment. How interesting!" Ayano mused as Erza pointed her twin swords towards her.

"Photon Slicer!" she said shooting a large golden blast.

"Crescent Slash!" Ayano took a swing with her glowing hand, shooting a large purple slash that collided with the blast, creating a strong explosion. The raven haired woman raised her hands, surrounding them in a purple glow.

"Arcane Volley!" she said, shooting a barrage of purple blasts against Erza, who shot a few blasts of her own from her swords but the magical missiles were too many, causing her to raise her blades to cover herself as they crashed around her.

"Requip! Flame Empress Armor!" Erza said as she requiped into a dark red, orange and black armor, holding a large, dark red blade.

"Another cute armor! You have quite an interesting style, my dear Erza!" Ayano commented, her eyes falling on the redhead's bare shoulders and exposed thighs.

"You flatter me! Your robe is not bad either" Erza responded with a small smile, noticing Ayano's low neckline and toned legs that were ascended by her thigh boots.

"It's pretty nice, isn't it? You know, I do have some robes that would look really nice on you!" Ayano said with a sly grin, rubbing her chin.

"That's kind of you, but I think we should focus on our fight for now" Erza said coolly, taking a battle stance.

"Then I'll just have to defeat you quickly, so we can move to more interesting things!" Ayano said lightly, surrounding her hands in a purple glow.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't plan on losing!" Erza said decisively as she shot a large blast of fire.

"Burning Sphere!" Ayano said, shooting a blast of purple flames which clashed with the flaming blast.

"She can use Fire Magic too?" Erza thought, shooting a flurry of flaming slashes towards her opponent who dashed towards her, dodging the slashes. Ayano raised her hands, forming two purple glowing, spectral blades on each hand and attacked with a swift combination of strikes which Erza managed to block with her own blade and counter attacked with a few slashes of her own. The mercenary mage proved to be quite skilled with her blades but Erza's experience allowed her to get the upper hand, knocking one of her spectral blades from her hand which simply vanished. Ayano however, was able to evade a flaming slash and landed a hard kick on Erza's midsection who grunted as she was sent skidding backwards.

"She's pretty fast. Maybe I should go for speed too" Erza thought, shooting another flaming blast that her opponent dodged.

"Requip! Flight Armor!" she said as her armor flashed and was replaced by a light, cheetah printed bushy furred armor with a pair of cheetah ears adorning her hair and a tail hanging from her shorts, holding two rapier like swords.

"My, such a daring outfit! It's a good thing that your armors give you all those different kinds of magic and abilities, because some of them don't seem really good on the defensive side. Your previous armors were cute but this one, I'm not even sure if it qualifies as armor" Ayano said, her eyes fixed on Erza's exposed stomach and barely covered, stocking clad legs, as well as the teasing view of her cleavage.

"Maybe, but this armor greatly increases my speed. As you are about to find out" Erza responded as she dashed forward at a high speed, Ayano's eyes slightly widening as she blocked the incoming charge just in time, raising her glowing arms.

"Impressive indeed!" she remarked, pushing her backwards with the force of her magic.

"I'm not done yet! Sonic Claw!" Erza said, moving at an ever greater speed.

"Magic Barrier!" Ayano created a light purple force field around her, as Erza attacked with swift slashes from different directions, the barrier being strong enough to block the slashes but Ayano took some damage from the force of the strikes. Erza leapt backwards, keeping her blades raised as Ayano slightly panted but remained on her feet.

"That's quite some speed! Let's see if you can dodge this, thought" she said, surrounding herself in a purple aura as she charged her magic, raising her hands. Several spectral blades appeared floating around her, all of them pointing towards Erza who looked at them slightly worried.

"Sword Dance!" Ayano said lowering her hands, sending the spectral blades flying towards Erza who used her increased speed to dodge them, moving swiftly, leaping high in the air, and parrying some of them with her own swords. She was so focused on dodging the glowing blades however, that she didn't notice the brunette who prepared another attack.

"You are wide open! Magical Whip!" Ayano said as she created a long, purple glowing whip and swung it towards Erza, wrapping it around one of her legs.

"What? Gaaaah!" Erza barely noticed the whip around her leg before she felt a strong tug, Ayano pulling her whip and causing her to land roughly on the ground. Erza gasped as she crashed on the ground, losing one of her blades from the impact.

"Got you now! Volley Crash!" Ayano shot a large, purple sphere in the air which levitated for a moment before it burst, sending a volley of small blasts which crashed where Erza was lying, creating small explosions and covering the spot in dust. After a few moments the dust cleared and Ayano saw Erza stirring on the ground, groaning painfully as she struggled to get back to her feet.

"That was, a pretty strong one. But it will take more to keep me down. Ugh!" she panted before she let out another grunt as another purple blast sent her crashing on the ground.

"I know you are tough, Erza. But I do have the advantage right now" Ayano said calmly as she stepped towards the redhead, holding her glowing whip. Erza slowly got on her knees but let out a gasp as she felt something wrapping tightly around her, pinning her arms to her side and tying her up, noticing that Ayano had bound her with her glowing whip.

"You've fought well, but there is no reason to continue this. Just give up, open the chest for me and we can finish this now. I would prefer not to hurt you anymore, so don't make me" Ayano said.

"That's nice of you, but I don't give up that easily. Everyone else is fighting, so there's no way I'll give up! For the pride of Fairy Tail and for the sake of my friends, I'll keep fighting! If you want me to open that chest for you, you'll have to drag my unconscious body in front of it" Erza said with a determined voice.

"I expected you would say something like this" Ayano said with a sigh before she stared at Erza, narrowing her eyes.

"Fine then, have it your way! Looks like I'll have to go rough on you!" she yelled as she pulled the whip hard, lifting Erza from the ground and swinging her around before she tossed her, slamming her roughly against a nearby tree.

"Gaaaaah!" Erza cried out painfully, her back arching as she hit the tree before she collapsed on the ground. She let out a groan as she struggled to get back on her feet but Ayano was already on the attack, leaping forward and burying her knee right into her exposed stomach, slamming her again against the tree. Erza gasped hard from the double impact, completely stunned and then groaned as her opponent landed another hard blow deep in her exposed belly. She then pulled her from her tree and landed a hard, spinning kick sending her crashing on the ground.

"Stay down, Erza!" Ayano said with a hint of frustration as Erza once again struggled to get back to her feet.

"Not while I can still fight" she panted as she stood up, shaking her head as she tried to get her bearings.

"You are quite stubborn!" Ayano said as she dashed forward.

"Ugh!" Erza gasped as she felt a hard fist landing on her stomach, knocking the wind out of her before another hard blow on her chin sent her stumbling backwards, her long red hair spraying around her. Ayano continued with another punch but her eyes widened as Erza managed to block her strike as if from instinct before she landed a hard blow of her own, staggering her opponent before a strong kick sent her flying backwards.

"So, you still have fight in you! As expected from Titania!" Ayano said with a small smile, slowly getting back on her feet.

"And you hit harder than I expected. But, this won't be enough to keep me down" Erza said.

"I expected as much, but I thought I could wear you down a little before I tried something bigger" Ayano responded.

"Let's settle this then! Requip! Armadura Fairy Armor!" Erza said decisively as her armor flashed and was replaced by a pink, full armor with wind shaped decorations, holding her twin swords firmly and charging her magic.

"I sense a great amount of magic from this armor. Then I'll put everything I have in this final move" Ayano said as she charged her magic as well, surrounding herself in a purple aura and forming a large, purple glowing spectral spear in her hand. Erza and Ayano raised their weapons, staring each other for a while before they charged at the same time, their weapons clashing and creating a powerful explosion that nearly levelled the trees around them, covering the spot in a thick cloud of dust. After a few moments the dust slowly cleared and Ayano fell weakly on her knees, letting out a groan while Erza's armor disappeared, leaving her covered in her regular blue and white outfit.

"You are truly amazing, Erza Scarlet! You win this fight" Ayano said with a small smile, lowering her head.

"You are pretty strong too" Erza smiled as well, before a cracking noise made her look up with a worried expression, noticing a large tree ready to fall.

"Watch out!" she said with a warning tone, Ayano looking at the falling tree but being too weak to move before Erza pushed her out of the way. Ayano rolled on the ground and heard a thud, shaking her head and looking up with a shocked expression.

"Erza!" she yelled as she moved as fast as she could towards the fallen tree, noticing Erza lying beneath it.

"Uuuuuhh" Erza groaned weakly, her eyes closed.

"Wait, I'll get you out of there!" Ayano said shaken as she grabbed the tree trunk, using the remains of her strength to slightly lift it and toss it to the side. She then knelt next to Erza and lifted her carefully, holding her in her arms.

"Are you okay, Erza? Say something" she said worriedly.

"I'm okay. That was a heavy tree, but at least it wasn't rocks" Erza mumbled, slowly opening her eyes.

"Ugh! I don't think I'll be able to move for a while though. Looks like you'll be able to drag me after all" she said with a pained smile.

"Don't be foolish! Here, take this" Ayano reached for one of the pouches of her belt and took out a small bottle.

"What's this?" Erza said.

"It's a healing potion. Drink up" Ayano said, bringing the small bottle to Erza's lips who sipped it slowly. Erza let out a sigh, feeling pleasant warmth spreading through her sore body and after a few moments she felt full of energy.

"This is amazing! Did you make it?" Erza said impressed.

"Indeed. I have some skill in potion making, and this healing potion is quite useful. It also restores a good part of your magic but taking too much might burn you up and leave you completely weakened, so it needs to be used carefully. And the bottle was enchanted too to withstand great force, otherwise it wouldn't be very useful to carry around in fights like this" Ayano explained.

"I see. Potion making must be quite useful" Erza commented.

"It is, but it's quite rare to find it even among mages. It's a special skill that needs a certain kind of aptitude. I only know very few potions myself, but they seem to be enough" Ayano said.

"Still, why did you help me?" Erza said, looking towards the brunette.

"Who knows? Probably for the same reason you pushed me away from that tree" Ayano responded with a small smile, as Erza smiled back. The raven haired young woman then got up and offered her hand to Erza who took it, and helped her get up.

"The chest is over there. Go and claim what belongs to your guild" Ayano said lightly.

"Thank you, Ayano!" Erza smiled and took a few steps before she stopped.

"Is something the matter?" Ayano said with wonder.

"Something tells me that things will not be that simple. I need to get the pendant and find Gray and the others. The fighting is not done yet" Erza said with a serious expression.

* * *

At another part of the forest the footsteps of guards could be heard, with a tall, bearded man walking in front of them until he gave a signal to stop, noticing another guard coming towards him.

"Here's the report of what has happened, sir" the guard said, taking a bow and offering a letter. The bearded man took it and scanned it, his stern expression not changing.

"So, it appears that the Raiders and the Fairy Tail mages have already started fighting. The outcome means little though. Everyone prepare to move and sent word to the ones at the camp to move out too! I will handle this personally. And go through anyone who stands in my way" Lord Ming said, crumpling the letter and giving the command to his guards who moved swiftly to execute his orders, before he looked towards the forest.

 **Author's Note:** **Looks like t** **he battle is about to reach its climax. I tried to make some interesting and balanced fights, I hope I got it okay. The next chapter will be up soon, and it will have the conclusion of the mission as well as some more focus on romance, since the focus has been more on action in the recent chapters. Reviews and thoughts will be greatly appreciated. See you next time.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** **New chapter, everyone! I do not own Fairy Tail.**

 **A GUILD OF BONDS**

 **CHAPTER 5**

Gray slowly stood up, leaning on the tree behind him.

"I need to move on. Erza might be in trouble" he said, taking a few steps towards the path.

"There's no need to worry about your friend. She'll be fine, considering the circumstances" Feng said as he sat up on the ground.

"What's that supposed to mean? Isn't she fighting against one of your comrades?" Gray said slightly frustrated, turning towards him.

"I'm sure she is. Ayano is skilled and powerful, but she is also kinder than she appears. Your friend will face a challenge, but she won't get seriously hurt. It's about someone else you need to worry about" Feng said calmly.

"And who might that be?" Gray inquired, narrowing his eyes.

"I'd say Lord Ming. You've already met his guards, and we saw their camp inside the forest. They seemed well organized and almost as if they were preparing for someone's arrival. I think it's safe to say that Lord Ming will be coming here himself. And he is more ruthless than any of us, not to mention he'll probably bring more guards" Feng responded.

"So you'll be getting reinforcements. We'll deal with them like we dealt with you" Gray said decisively.

"Not quite. The Raiders do not appreciate interference or employ shady tactics; once we are given a task we handle it ourselves. Sending his guards is one thing, especially without telling us, but if he does come here himself, then our contract is broken. It's one of our rules. You don't have anything to fear from us" Feng said as he stood up.

"Well, you'll have to forgive me if I don't exactly trust your word" Gray said, disbelief evident in his voice.

"I don't expect you to. But you have to make a choice. The camp is close to the other path where the rest of your friends are. Lord Ming will most likely head there. And he is a formidable adversary. Which way will you go?" Feng said with a serious expression.

"Which way to go? Can I trust this guy? How is Erza doing? What about everyone else?" Gray clenched his fist, deep in thought before he raised his head.

"I know what I have to do" he said decisively.

* * *

Erza slowly stepped towards the foothills of the mountain, standing in front of the ornate chest with Ayano a little further behind her.

"Let's do this then" Erza mumbled to herself as she reached her hands towards the chest, feeling some sort of barrier blocking her for a moment until the engraved runes on the mountain wall around it glowed, just like the guild mark on her arm, allowing her to touch it. A small smile formed on Erza's lips as she took the small ornate chest and held it.

"So I was right about these runes" Ayano said with a hint of pride.

"You were not completely sure?" Erza raised an eyebrow.

"I do have some good knowledge about rune magic, but I'm not an expert" Ayano shrugged as Erza shook her head, still smiling, and opened the chest.

"Here it is! The First's pendant" she said, taking the old relic in her hand. It was just like in the picture of the old tome, a white pendant with a silver chain, round shaped and embellished with the Fairy Tail emblem on top of it, the guild's emblem made out of a light blue material.

"It's pretty indeed! Mind if I take a look at it?" Ayano said, as Erza looked at her with a suspicious expression.

"You are not going to run with it, will you?" she said, causing Ayano to chuckle.

"I gave you my healing potion. You may not be fully recovered, but you are in a far better condition than I am. Even if I tried to run, I wouldn't go very far" she said simply.

"Fine, fine I get it. Here it is" Erza said giving the pendant but still remaining alerted. Ayano took a close look at it and then let out a small laugh.

"It really is well crafted and in great condition considering how old it is. But I barely sense any magic from it! It's still an important artifact considering its history, but it's far from being a powerful magical artifact. I guess those were just stories, after all" Ayano said lightly, passing the pendant back to Erza.

"Stories mixed with legends, right? It matters little how much magic it actually has, it's still an important part of the guild" Erza said as she put the pendant back to the chest and closed it.

"I need to meet up with others" she said as Ayano nodded.

"Let's move on. Feng and your friend should be down the path from where we came" she said.

* * *

Natsu stood up, looking around with an alerted expression.

"I get a bunch of different scents. They are coming from both sides" he said, looking towards both sides of the path.

"So he has come. And probably brought some more of his guards too" Kazuma said as he got up.

"You mean that Ming guy? Then I'll just have to deal with him!" Natsu said pumping his fist.

"He will probably sent word to the ones at the camp to move out too. They'll come from both sides" Kazuma pointed out.

"So you mean that Lucy will be in trouble? I need to get to her!" Natsu said worriedly as he prepared to run but the dark haired mage stopped him.

"Dealing with Lord Ming is the only way to end this fight. If he is defeated then his guards will have little reason to fight. Don't worry about your friend, I'll go to her" Kazuma said.

"And I'm supposed to trust you? We've just fought a while ago" Natsu said angrily, turning towards him with his fist lifted.

"I'm not doing this to protect your friend only, I'm doing it to protect my friend too! If that cute blonde and your cat are surrounded by guards then Shizuka will certainly defend them, even if that idiot is too exhausted to lift her own weapons" Kazuma said back.

"She will?" Natsu raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Defending those who need us is one of our rules. We are not assassins, Salamander! And Shizuka is just too nice, she won't hesitate to help your friend even if she is outnumbered. So yeah, I have very good reasons to get to them!" Kazuma said intensely. The two of them glared each other for a moment before Natsu lowered his fist.

"Fine, I believe you. Besides, you didn't use any dirty tricks during our fight" he said, turning around.

"I'll go beat up that lord guy. You just keep them safe" the Dragon Slayer said decisively.

"No worries, I'll come to help you once we deal with them. His interference has pretty much broken our contract anyway. Don't underestimate him though, he is said to be quite tough" Kazuma said.

"I've dealt with tough guys before!" Natsu said with confidence as he dashed forward, Kazuma shaking his head with a small smile before he moved swiftly towards the other direction.

* * *

"This doesn't look good" Lucy said with worry.

"They are too many! Where did they come from?" Happy said, standing next to her as a large number of guards moved slowly towards them.

"There is no escape for you, Fairy Tail mage! Give up!" one of the guards said.

"Hey, what do you guys think you are doing?" Shizuka said angrily.

"We are doing what you mercenaries couldn't do. Stand back and let us clear things up!" the guard said as he stepped closer, raising his spear.

"Not a chance you jerk!" Shizuka snapped, landing a hard kick and sending the guard crashing against a nearby tree.

"Shizuka-san!" Lucy said with surprise.

"Attacking someone when she's exhausted, such a dirty move! There's no way I'm gonna stand by and watch!" Shizuka said, raising her tonfa as she stood in front of Lucy.

"What do you think you are doing? If you stand in our way then you are an enemy too!" another guard yelled.

"Hmph, bring it then!" Shizuka huffed.

"Shizuka-san, wait! You are in no condition to fight!" Lucy said with worry.

"It's okay, I'm good enough to take on those jerks. Don't worry Lucy-chan, I will protect you!" Shizuka said with a reassuring smile but Lucy noticed her slightly panting.

"She really is a good guy after all" Happy said.

"Charge! Get all of them!" the guards said as they charged.

"There's no way I'll let you fight alone! I still have some magic left!" Lucy said decisively as he raised a golden key.

"I open the Gate of the Lion, Leo!" she said with a clear voice as a bright light flashed causing the guards to grunt and cover themselves as a young mage with wild orange hair that resembled a mane, dressed in a sharp black tuxedo and blue shades appeared.

"It was about time you summoned me, Lucy! I was about to come here by myself" the orange haired mage said with a calm smile.

"Well, things were pretty calm just a few moments ago. Either way, you are here now, Loke!" Lucy said.

"Another spirit? This one is a good looking guy" Shizuka said.

"You are the one who defended my dear Lucy, aren't you? You have my sincere thanks! You can both relax now, I'll take care of these guys" Loke said as he stepped forward.

"I appreciate the help shades guy, but I won't take the backseat!" Shizuka said decisively.

"Me neither!" Lucy added, holding up her magical whip.

"Aye! We will all fight!" Happy said.

"As I expected! Well you guys have already fought so try to stay close to each other" Loke said with a smile.

"One more guy makes little difference! Get them!" the guards yelled.

"This is where the fun begins!" Loke said, charging his magic.

"That's some strong magic!" Shizuka mumbled as Loke was surrounded with a golden aura.

"Regulus, give me strength!" Loke said as he dashed forward at a great speed, knocking several guards out with his glowing fists.

"Not bad! Okay Lucy-chan, let's go!" Shizuka said.

"I'm ready!" Lucy nodded raising her magical whip, the two of them joining the fight.

* * *

"Move along, men! We need to meet up with the guard from the camp!" the commander said as the guards moved inside the forest, moving behind Lord Ming who suddenly stopped, looking towards the trees.

"Looks like we have some company" he said simply.

"Watch out!" the commander yelled as a blast of fire suddenly crashed against them, blowing some of them away before Natsu landed in front of them.

"Fairy Tail's Fire Dragon Slayer, Natsu Dragneel. How nice of you to drop by" Lord Ming said.

"So you are that Ming guy I keep hearing about. You certainly are big" Natsu said.

"How dare you address our lord so casually!" one of the guards said angrily.

"He is only one guy! Get him!" the commander gave the order as some of the guards charged forward.

"Out of my way!" Natsu snapped, taking them out with a wide swing of his flaming fist.

"He's some sort of monster! Just like we've heard" the other guards said nervously.

"You fools! You are no match for someone like him at these low numbers. Stand back, I'll handle this rowdy mage" Lord Ming said, pulling his black sash and taking off his crimson robe with one swift move, remaining in his purple tunic and his crimson trousers before fastening his sash again and giving his robe to a nearby guard, the guards moving backwards as the bearded man stepped forward.

"Come then, Natsu Dragneel! Show me the power of a Dragon Slayer" he said, raising his muscular arms and taking a battle stance.

"I'll do more that showing you my power! I'll beat you up!" Natsu said decisively as he dashed forward and leapt in the air.

"Karyo no Kagizume!" he said, landing a hard flaming kick that Lord Ming blocked with his arm and pushing him backwards. Natsu flipped in the air and landed on his feet, pushing forward and attacking with a barrage of flaming fists. Lord Ming however was able to block, landing a strike of his own with his open palm, landing directly on Natsu's chest and sending him skidding backwards.

"Ugh! That guy is strong!" Natsu grunted.

"You have good force behind your strikes, Natsu Dragneel. But you'll have to do better than that" Lord Ming said with his heavy voice.

"I'm just getting started!" Natsu yelled as he surrounded himself in flames and charged again, attacking with greater speed and ferocity. Lord Ming blocked again but let out a grunt as Natsu was able to land a fist to his midsection, followed by a kick to his side. Natsu leapt and landed another kick but the large man grabbed his leg and slammed him on the ground hard, stunning him and causing Natsu to groan hard as he stomped him with his booted leg. Lord Ming raised his muscular arm and was about to pummel him with his large fist when suddenly he was struck with a block of ice, sending him skidding backwards.

"What was that?" Lord Ming said.

"Who? Gray!" Natsu said as she slowly sat up, noticing the dark haired mage stepping towards him.

"Looks like I arrived just in time" he said, reaching his hand and pulling Natsu back to his feet.

"Hey, I had it under control!" Natsu retorted.

"Right, you had him right where you wanted" Gray said sarcastically before he looked towards the large man.

"So, this the guy" he said with a more serious expression.

"Another Fairy Tail mage? What have those Raiders been doing?" Lord Ming scoffed.

"What about the others?" Natsu said with some worry.

"They are fine, they are taking care of the remaining guards. With some help from Loke and those mercenary mages" Gray said with a smile.

"Really? So those guys are actually nice" Natsu remarked.

"Erza has also found the First's pendant. And guess what, it turns out it has no magic whatsoever! It's just a nice, old piece of jewellery. Still part of Fairy Tail's history though" Gray said with a louder voice, causing the old man to furrow his thick eyebrows.

"I see. Fairy Tail is not the kind of guild to spread lies, so this must be true. Looks the rumours surrounding the pendant were just tall tales" he mumbled, his expression not changing.

"So be it then, my journey won't be completely in vain! Mages of Fairy Tail, our fight is not done because of this news! Prepare to face the might of Iron Fist Ming!" he said with a loud voice, clenching his fists and stomping on the ground hard.

"He's quite a stubborn old man, isn't he?" Gray chuckled.

"Yeah, and he is pretty tough too! Nothing I can't handle though!" Natsu said with confidence.

"Hey, you don't really think I came all the way here just to watch, do you?" Gray said with a dry expression.

"Well, feel free to join! As long as you don't get in my way, Ice Cube!" Natsu grinned.

"Same goes for you, Flame Brain!" Gray smirked, as they both took their battle stances.

* * *

"That takes care of them" Erza said, knocking out the remaining guards.

"We did it! Finally" Lucy let out a sigh as she sat on the ground.

"Looks like everything is okay here. I'll be taking my leave, Lucy" Loke said.

"Yeah, thanks a lot, Loke!" Lucy smiled as Loke waved at her, smiling as well before he disappeared in a bright light.

"It's a good thing you guys arrived when you did. Things were getting a little tough around here" Shizuka said slightly panting.

"You rushed into a fight without thinking again, didn't you? You can be so reckless" Kazuma said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Our Shizuka is just too kind! Besides, I don't think these guards gave her much of a choice" Ayano pointed out simply.

"Thank you, Aya-chan!" Shizuka smiled.

"All that's left now is to deal with Lord Ming" Feng said thoughtfully.

"It's okay. I'm sure Natsu and Gray will be able to handle him" Erza said with a calm expression, looking towards the sky.

* * *

"Karyu no Tekken!" Natsu surrounded his fist with flames and took a wide swing but Lord Ming dodged by grabbing his wrist and landing a hard knee strike to his midsection, sending him flying backwards. At the same time, he blocked an ice coated fist from Gray, striking him with his open palm. Natsu however was on the attack again, leaping towards him and landing a number of kicks while in midair that the bearded man blocked with his arms, followed by a dropkick that caused him to stumble backwards. The pink haired mage attacked with another flaming punch but Lord Ming dodged by moving sideways and knocked him on the ground with a heavy chop. Gray however was again on the attack, landing a hard blow to the side of his face, followed by an elbow strike to his midsection, causing him to grunt as he stumbled backwards. Natsu got quickly on his feet and both he and Gray attacked at the same time, each of them landing a hard fist but Lord Ming raised his arms and blocked both of them, before he pushed them and landed a double palm strike, sending both of them skidding backwards.

"Karyo no Hoko!" Natsu yelled as he shot a large blast of bright flames, Lord Ming raising his arms to cover himself as the powerful breath attack crashed on his, creating a strong explosion.

"Ice Make Geyser!" Gray sent a barrage of large, spiky ice made blocks against his opponent that smashed against him, covering the spot in dust and broken ice shards. The Fairy Tail mages waited for the dust to clear and then saw with wide eyes the bearded man still standing, his arm still raised in front of him in a defensive position before he slowly lowered them.

"Impressive! Fairy Tail mages are strong indeed, but not strong enough!" Lord Ming said with his heavy voice.

"Impossible! How can this be?" Natsu said stunned.

"He may be tough and strong but there's no way he could take both of these moves and still stand! Not without having magic himself! Wait, did you notice?" Gray said with a low voice.

"I did. It must be those bracers of his" Natsu narrowed his eyes, noticing the golden heavy bracers around Lord Ming's large arms slightly glowing.

"That's what I thought. This guy is supposed to be a collector of magical artifacts, right? That why he wanted the pendant in the first place. So those bracers must have some magic. They probably weaken our magic or most likely they give him some resistance to it" Gray said.

"Then we just need to get rid of them before we finish that guy off" Natsu said decisively.

"We'll need to coordinate our moves, but we can do it!" Gray nodded.

"Right! Let's go then, Gray!" Natsu dashed forward.

"I'm right behind you, Natsu!" Gray said, charging as well.

"Hmm, those guys were stunned a moment earlier and now they are full of vigour. What are they up to?" Lord Ming thought as Natsu leapt towards him.

"Take this!" he yelled, landing a spinning flaming kick which the large man blocked with his bracer, Natsu noticing it slightly glowing.

"Not good enough, boy!" Lord Ming said, landing his large fist directly on Natsu's chin who gasped as he was sent flying backwards, before he turned towards Gray.

"Ice Make Shield!" Gray created a large icy shield as Lord Ming landed a hard blow, smashing the block of ice. The ice mage however was able to dodge and buried his own fist deep into Lord Ming's midsection, causing him to grunt.

"Why you!" Lord Ming said angrily as he raised his arms and brought them down in a double axe handle but Gray stopped his powerful blow, grabbing his arms by his bracers. The tall man's eyes widened as he noticed his heavy bracers quickly getting frozen.

"Those bracers are not just for show, are they?" Gray said with a grin.

"You damn brat!" the old man yelled furiously as he landed a heavy kick with his booted leg, sending Gray crashing on the ground but heard a roar above him, lifting his head and noticing Natsu falling towards him.

"Time to get rid of those things!" the pink haired mage yelled as he landed a flaming axe kick, Lord Ming moving instinctively as he lifted his arms above him, blocking the powerful kick. The force of the blow however, as well as the blazing flames, caused the frozen bracers to crack before they shattered completely, while Natsu landed on his feet.

"Damn you! You may have destroyed my bracers, but I'm not done yet!" Lord Ming yelled, landing a heavy strike directly on Natsu's midsection who let out a groan as he was taken off his feet, before another hard blow slammed him on the ground. Natsu however landed a strong kick to his chin, causing him to stumble backwards staggered.

"Ice Make Lance!" Gray shot a number of ice made spears that crashed against Lord Ming who let out a heavy grunt, while Natsu followed up with a hard strike directly to his midsection.

"Let's finish this! Karyo no Koen!" Natsu put his hands together, forming a large fireball and blasting his opponent, sending him flying upwards.

"Ice Make Cannon!" Gray created a bazooka like weapon and shot a powerful blast of ice at Lord Ming while he was in midair, creating a strong explosion and sending him crashing on the ground.

"This fight goes to us!" Natsu declared as the guards looked at them with shocked expressions.

"Impossible! They actually defeated Lord Ming? These Fairy Tail mages are truly strong" they said.

"Good fight, mages of Fairy Tail! This battle is yours" Lord Ming mumbled, lying on the ground before he slowly sat up.

"Sir, what do we do now?" the commander said.

"We return to the camp to rest and regroup, and then we make our way back to the castle. Fairy Tail wins this fight, do not pursue them or the Raiders. We are done here" Lord Ming said.

"Right away sir!" the commander said as he gave the order to the remaining guards who quickly moved to pick up those who were still out and load them to their carriages.

"Let's meet up with the others too" Gray said, Natsu nodding in agreement as the two mages turned around and moved away.

* * *

"You think maybe we should go and help them too?" Lucy said with some worry.

"It's okay, Lucy! Natsu and Gray can definitely beat up that guy!" Happy said with confidence.

"Yes, but he has more guards with him right? Can they fight against them too?" Lucy said.

"From the look we took at the camp it appears that most of Lord Ming's guards were already in the forest, and we already dealt with them. And while there seemed to be several at the castle when we met him, he must have left some of them as a guard. So he probably didn't bring a lot with him" Feng rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"No need to ponder about this any longer. They are already here" Erza said with a smile as the others turned around, noticing the two mages slowly moving towards them.

"Natsu, Gray! They are both okay!" Lucy said with a relieved smile.

"Lucy! I was so worried!" Natsu said as he ran, wrapping his arms around the blonde in a firm hug.

"It's okay Natsu, I'm fine" Lucy said, a deep shade of pink covering her features.

"Natsu! I knew you guys would win!" Happy said, joining in the hug.

"You did it!" Erza said, giving Gray a warm smile.

"Of course! Besides, I said I would come back to you" Gray said with a soft expression.

"Well, things went differently than expected, but they turned out pretty good eventually" Kazuma said lightly.

"They did, considering the situation. We did fail in our mission though" Feng folded his arms with a slightly sulky expression.

"No need to pout, Feng! We tried our best, after all" Shizuka said cheerfully.

"There were some unexpected complications in this mission. But we did what was right, and that's enough for me" Ayano said with a calm smile.

"We really appreciate your help" Erza turned towards the mages with a grateful smile.

"Yeah, you guys were not so bad after all" Natsu said.

"What are you going to do now?" Lucy said.

"Have you considered joining a guild? Many guilds would be glad have to have strong mages and good guys like you" Gray suggested.

"Oh stop, you'll make us blush!" Shizuka smiled.

"The idea of joining a guild has gone through our minds. Maybe after we travel a little longer" Feng responded.

"For now, some rest will be nice. And maybe be a little more careful about the missions we take" Kazuma said.

"I think it's time for all of us to be on our way! It's been fun, mages of Fairy Tail" Ayano said with a pleasant smile.

"Farewell then! And take care!" Erza greeted, smiling as well.

"Bye guys! Feel free to drop by the guild whenever you want!" Lucy waved at them as the mages waved back, before they turned around and slowly stepped away.

"Well then, time for us to get back to the guild!" Natsu said cheerfully, the Fairy Tail mages nodding with small smiles as they all made their way through the green forest.

* * *

A few days have passed since that mission. Master Makarov had examined the first guild master's pendant and found out that it really didn't possess any powerful magic or mystical powers, but it was certainly an important treasure of the guild and kept it in his study. The Fairy Tail mages all rested and spent their days in the guild without any concerns, except for a certain dark haired mage. Gray would often take long walks on his own and sometimes be completely absent minded when being around the others. He even stayed away from the guild's usual brawls, instead taking quick glances at Erza and quickly looking away when the redhead would turn towards him, which sometimes resulted in her having a wondering expression on her face.

"This is ridiculous! If I continue like this I might make her worried. She might even think I'm mad at her or something. When it's actually pretty much the opposite" Gray thought as he leaned on the ledge of the bridge, looking at the clear river that crossed Magnolia before he let out a sigh.

"It's not easy though. We have known each for so long, ever since we were kids. What if she doesn't feel the same? What if I'm just a really good friend to her and she can't see me differently? What if that makes things awkward between us? Darn it!" Gray let out a frustrated grunt, before he looked towards the sky. It was already evening and the sun was slowly setting, painting the sky in a warm orange shade.

"Who knew that this sort of thing is so complicated? Especially for a dumb guy like me who barely knows anything about romance. Maybe I could ask for some advice, Mirajane might be able to help. Although, I might be too embarrassed to ask her about advice in the first place. If I can't even ask for advice, how can I even make a confession? Man, I'm so hopeless!" the dark haired mage chuckled lightly, before he turned around and looked towards the guild.

"And there's a certain blue haired girl that I need to talk to. I need to clear things between us, tell her about my feelings before I move on" Gray thought, looking towards the clear river. While Juvia could be a little clingy and a little too excited sometimes, there was no doubt that her feelings were pure and honest, and Gray really cared about her and considered her a close friend. He should at least clear things between them and tell her about his feelings.

"Gray-sama" a familiar feminine voice was heard, causing Gray to turn around.

"Juvia! What are you doing here?" the dark haired mage said with a hint of surprise, as Juvia moved towards him.

"Juvia was on her way to the guild when she noticed Gray-sama standing at the bridge on his own, looking pretty troubled. So Juvia wanted to see how he is doing. Is everything okay, Gray-sama?" Juvia asked with a hint of worry.

"You are always so caring, Juvia. You really are a kind and sweet girl, you know that?" Gray said with a small smile.

"Gray-sama! Juvia is so happy to hear you say that! So happy that she could fly!" Juvia said with a flustered expression.

"There she goes again" Gray slowly shook his head still smiling, looking at Juvia's dreamy expression, before he took a deep breath.

"Juvia, could you listen to me for a moment? There's something I need to talk to you about" he started saying.

"Of course! Juvia is listening!" the blue haired girl said, as Gray slowly walked towards her.

"Juvia, I know that you have some feelings about me. And I've been a fool for not addressing them all this time. But I guess, I wasn't sure how to talk to you" Gray said with a lowered head.

"Gray-sama?" Juvia said slowly.

"Juvia, you are a very dear friend to me and I do care about you! But, I can't return your feelings. I'm so sorry! But I have to be honest with you, you deserve that much" Gray said, lifting his head and looking at Juvia, noticing her lips slightly trembling but she remained calm.

"It's because Gray-sama has feelings for someone else, right? For Erza-san, is that correct?" she said slowly, causing Gray to look at her with surprise.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you noticed. Yeah, I do have feelings for her. Juvia, I'm not sure what to say. I'm really sorry" Gray said, with a hint of regret.

"There's no need to apologise, Gray-sama. And thank you for being honest. But you see, Juvia also wanted to talk to Gray-sama about something" Juvia said.

"You did?" Gray said, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes. You see, lately Juvia has been having feelings about someone else, someone Gray-sama knows pretty well. About Lyon-sama" Juvia said with a hint of embarrassment.

"About Lyon? But how, when?" Gray said, completely stunned.

"It was during a recent mission, a joined mission between Fairy Tail and Lamia Scale, and Juvia teamed up with Lyon-sama. He was so cool, kind and strong! He reminded Juvia of Gray-sama, only smooth and dignified!" Juvia said with a flustered expression.

"Hey, I can be smooth and dignified too!" Gray slightly pouted, causing Juvia to let out a small laugh.

"And he seemed to really like Juvia! In fact, he asked me out once the mission was finished. But Juvia wasn't sure how to respond. Juvia's feelings were confused and conflicted and she asked for some time, and Lyon-sama said that he would wait as long as it took for Juvia's response! Juvia was so embarrassed to hear that!" the blue haired girl said, covering her flushed cheeks with her hands.

"Well, I guess he is a smooth talker, after all. So, you like him too, don't you?" Gray said with a small smile.

"That's right. Juvia was confused at first, but she realised that Gray-sama only saw her in a friendly way. And Lyon-sama was so kind and nice, and Juvia does like him too. So, Juvia also wanted to talk to Gray-sama" Juvia said.

"I see. I'm really glad to hear this, Juvia! You are a wonderful girl, and Lyon is a great guy! I'm sure he can make you happy!" Gray said with a smile.

"Thank you, Gray-sama! Juvia will do her best! And Gray-sama should do his best too, and tell Erza-san about his feelings!" Juvia said with a pumped up expression.

"I will!" Gray said with lifted spirits.

"Juvia needs to go to the guild now, and then to Fairy Hills to get ready. Lyon-sama will be waiting at the park, and Juvia needs to give him her response" Juvia said.

"You should get going then! I'll see you later, Juvia" Gray said lightly as Juvia smiled at him, before she turned around and moved away.

"Thank you, Juvia! You are right, I need to confront my own feelings too. Even if I have no idea how to do this" he mumbled.

"Well, I guess I'll just figure something out. I'm good at improvising at least. One step at a time, for starters let's go and find her. And see where we go from there" Gray nodded to himself decisively before he made his way towards the guild.

* * *

"Are you okay, Erza? You seem a little troubled" Lucy said, noticing Erza's expression, the two of them sitting at the bar of the guild.

"I'm okay, Lucy. It's just that, have you noticed something strange about Gray these last few days?" Erza said.

"Well, he does seem a little absent minded and unusually silent. I mean, he barely even bickers with Natsu anymore" Lucy noticed.

"It's not only that. I think he is avoiding me, and I don't know why. Have I done something to upset him? Is he mad, because I yell at them when they brawl? I know I can be a little, strict sometimes" Erza said with a concerned expression.

"I don't think that's the reason, Erza! I mean you can be a little, intense sometimes, but everyone is loud around here. Not that you are loud, or anything" Lucy fumbled with her words as Erza looked towards her.

"Am I really that scary, Lucy?" she said with a saddened expression.

"What? Of course not! I mean you are a little when you get angry, but you are one of the kindest people I've ever met!" Lucy said hastily, slightly frustrated at herself that she couldn't comfort her friend.

"You can be a little scary sometimes, Erza. We both are. Remember all the times we bickered when we were younger? Everyone was just running away from us!" Mirajane said with a light smile as she moved towards them.

"I guess you are right, Mira" Erza responded with a small smile.

"But I really don't think that Gray is angry at you, let alone be scared of you. Maybe he's just tired from your recent mission" Mirajane said simply.

"That's right, that's probably the reason! I know I am still sore from all the fighting" Lucy said.

"You guys may have a point" Erza said, still uncertain.

"Well if it bothers you so much, why don't you ask him? He's coming this way" Mirajane said calmly, causing Lucy and Erza to turn around, noticing Gray closing the gates of the guild behind him and walking towards them.

"Hey guys" he greeted lightly.

"Gray! Um, where have you been?" Erza said with some hesitance.

"Out for a walk, getting some fresh air. It's a nice day. Erza, would you like to take a walk with me?" Gray said, trying to sound as calm as he could.

"A walk? Sure, just let me get my coat, and let's go" Erza said with a smile, getting up from her seat.

"Okay, great! See you guys latter" Gray greeted before the two of them walked away.

"Sure, see you" Lucy said with a confused expression before she turned towards Mirajane.

"What just happened? Did that also seem a little strange to you?" she said.

"Not really. These two just need some quiet to sort things out between them. Clear their feelings. They will be fine" Mirajane said with a calm expression.

"Yeah, I'm sure they will" Lucy said with a small smile.

* * *

Gray and Erza walked side by side near the river bank, enjoying the pleasant breeze.

"You've been a little quiet these days Gray" Erza said.

"Yeah, I know. Sorry if I made you worried. I was just, thinking about stuff" Gray responded vaguely.

"About what? Is there something troubling you? You know you can talk to me about anything" Erza said with an honest tone.

"About anything, right" Gray mumbled before he stopped, Erza stopping next to him as she looked at him with a puzzled look.

"Remember this place, Erza?" Gray said looking towards the river, the redhead looking at the spot before she smiled.

"Of course I do. It's where I stopped feeling alone. It's the spot where a stubborn, loud kid sat next to a quiet girl who kept crying to herself. Where you reached out to me, pushed away my loneliness and made me feel welcome to the guild. Where you became my friend, Gray" Erza said with a soft smile as Gray gazed at her with a fond expression. She looked so cute and adorable at that point that Gray felt a sudden urge to hold her tightly in his arms, hug her close to him and tell her that she would never be alone again. It's an urge he had been feeling for all those days but he had to resist, he had to wait for the right moment. He first needed to make his feelings clear, tell her how much he cared about her before he moved to actions. Slowly he moved away until he turned around to face her.

"Erza, fight me!" he suddenly said.

"Eh? Where did that come from?" Erza said surprised, raising her eyebrows.

"Well, I was just thinking that it has been some time since we last sparred together. So how about it, for old time's sake?" Gray said with a calmer voice, forming an ice made sword. Erza let out a sigh of relief, before she raised her head.

"I guess it has been some time. Sparring does sound good" she said with a light smile, summoning one of her longswords. The two of them stared at each other for a moment, Gray wondering if he had picked the right way before he clenched his sword decisively.

"Okay, here we go then" Gray said as both Erza and he charged at the same time. The ice and steel swords clashed, sparks flying as the two of them engaged in a quick paced swordfight. Gray looked at Erza in admiration her as they fought, her strikes were quick and precise and she moved with such grace and elegance, her long, red hair flowing almost as if she was dancing.

"You have gotten pretty good, Gray! I'm impressed!" Erza said with a smile, as Gray managed to keep up with her pacing.

"Thanks, I've been getting some practice" Gray said lightly. Both of them leapt back and then attacked with force, their blades clashing as they got close to each other, their faces almost meeting. Gray gazed deeply into Erza's brown eyes, his words coming out almost without thinking.

"Erza, I really like you! Will you go out with me?" Gray said.

"You, what?" Erza said stunned, staring at him as both of them lowered their swords.

"I said that, I really like you, Erza! I'm not sure when these feelings came to me or if they were always there, but I really do!" Gray said, making his blade disappear before he moved closer.

"You like me? But, we are friends!" Erza stammered, a crimson shade that almost rivalled her hair covering her face.

"I know. But lately whenever I'm around you, I have these fuzzy feelings. I just want to look at you, to hold you in my arms, to see you smile and hear your laugh. I want to make you smile, to make you feel good" Gray said as he gently took Erza's hands to his own.

"Gray, you…" Erza mumbled as Gray gave her a fond gaze, his dark blue eyes locking with Erza's warm, chocolate brown orbs.

"You are kind, smart, brave, and the most beautiful girl I've ever met! Being around you makes me feel warm, joyful. And if you'd give me the chance, I will try to make you feel as happy as you make me feel, or even happier than that" he said. Erza stared at him for a moment before she slowly smiled.

"You already make me feel happy, Gray! Being around you, being with you is enough. And, I'd really like to go out with you" she said, looking towards him with a soft smile.

"Really?" Gray said surprised.

"Yeah, really" Erza said softly, still smiling. Gray looked at her for a moment before a joyful smile appeared on his face. Slowly he pulled Erza closer, wrapping his arms around her in a warm embrace as Erza rested on him, the two of them remaining like this illuminated by the setting sun, before they slightly pulled away, Gray still having his arms around Erza.

"I guess I need to come up with a good place for our date then! I think I could think of a few good pastry shops" he said.

"Sounds like a rather nice date!" Erza said with a hint of enthusiasm, causing Gray to let out a small laugh.

"It's getting a little late, though. Let's head back, for now" Gray said, smiling.

"Yeah, let's go back to Fairy Tail, together" Erza nodded, as the two of them slowly made their way back to the guild, holding hands together.

 **Author's Note:** **I think this chapter came out okay. T** **here was both action and some romance in this chapter. Anyway, this seems like** **a nice closer to the story. See you, everyone!**


End file.
